Neocrangon communis (Rathbun, 1902)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 119

Neocrangon communis (Rathbun, 1902)

( Fig. 29E, F)

Crangon communis Rathbun, 1902a: 889 ; 1904: 124, fig. 65. — Kozloff 1974: 164. — Word & Charwat 1976: 77. — Butler 1980: 110. — Wicksten 1980c: 362.

Crago communis . — Schmitt 1921: 95, fig. 63.

Sclerocrangon communis . — Kobyakova 1937: 136.

Crangon (Neocrangon) communis . — Zarenkov 1965: 1762.

Neocrangon communis . — Kuris & Carlton 1977: 554. — Wicksten 1996a: 39, fig. 1 d–f.

Neocrangon resima: Green & Butler 1988: 1 , fig. 1 (misidentification).

Diagnosis. Exoskeleton thin, pubescence on anterior part of carapace, in abdominal sulci. Rostrum usually short, rounded, rising at low angle from midline of carapace; rarely rising at sharp angle and having ventral plate. Carapace with 2 median dorsal teeth, moderate antennal, strong branchiostegal, hepatic; weak pterygostomian tooth. Antennular peduncle short, less than 0.5 length of scaphocerite. Scaphocerite narrow, lateral tooth exceeding blade. Third maxilliped long, slender, with exopod. Pereopod 1 with dactylus closing obliquely transverse across propodus, merus with distal tooth, carpus with 2 weak distal teeth. Pereopod 2 shorter than first, slender, chelate. Pereopods 3–5 slender, with simple, slender dactyls. Abdominal somites 1, 2 smooth, somites 3–5 with wide median dorsal carina, somite 6 with 2 median dorsal carinae. Pleura of somites 4, 5 with posteroventral tooth each. Telson slightly exceeding uropods, with median sulcus, 2 pairs dorsolateral spines, rounded apex. Male total length 61 mm, female 80 mm.

Color in l ife. Medium gray over most of body, uniform brown over branchial region, overlaid with pale yellow spots, fine brown to charcoal dots over rest of carapace, abdomen with brown spots, blotches, light yellow spots, spots and patches of magenta to rust on pereopods and telson ( Butler 1980: plate 5D). Specimens from California were dull brick red.

Habitat and depth. Mud bottoms, 16–1537 m.

Range. Sea of Japan, east coast of Honshu I., Chukchi Sea , Bering Sea to San Diego , California, but usually north of Point Conception, California. Type locality off Pribilof Is., Bering Sea .