Pelia tumida (Lockington, 1877)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 224

Pelia tumida (Lockington, 1877)

( Fig. 52 B,C; Pl. 12E)

Pisoides ? tumidus Lockington, 1877: 30. Pelia tumida . — Holmes, 1900: 35. — Rathbun 1904: 174. — Schmitt 1921: 211, pl. 34, figs. 5, 6. — Rathbun 1925: 281, pl. 99, figs.

23. — Johnson & Snook 1927: 369, figs. 321, 323. — Garth 1958: 271, pl. Q, fig. 1; pl. 31, fig. 2. — Garth & Abbott 1980: 601,

fig. 25.12. — Jensen 1995: 23, fig. 21. — Hendrickx 1999: 150, fig. 86, pl. 6C.– Kuris et al. 2007: 641. Pelia clausa Rathbun, 1907: 72 . — Schmitt 1921: 211, pl. 34, figs. 1–4.

Diagnosis. Rostrum with shallow notch, rostral horns nearly parallel. Carapace pyriform, pubescent, without spines. Gastric region rounded, elevated, with small rounded tubercle; branchial regions inflated, cardiac region with rounded elevation. Anterolateral margin entire. Basal antennal segment longer than wide, with tooth at anteroexternal angle, flagella longer than rostrum. Chelipeds unarmed, hand inflated, male with fingers widely gaping, tubercle on margin of dactyl near base. Pereopods 2–5 flattened, pubescent, dactyls with sharp, curved apices. Male carapace length 21.2 mm, width 14.5 mm; female 20.5 mm, width 13.0 mm.

Color in life. Carapace buff, tan or orange, chelae white, mottled with brown, chela of adult male bright red, pereopods 2–5 with marks of orange, brown. The color notes are from crabs from San Pedro, California.

Habitat and depth. Rocks, rocky reefs, intertidal to 129 m, but usually at 50 m or less.

Range. Monterey Bay to Petatlan Bay , Mexico including Gulf of California. Type locality near San Diego. Uncommon north of Point Conception, California .

Remarks. Pelia tumida always has an unidentified yellow sponge attached to its dorsal surface. The crab attaches pieces to itself soon after molting. The sponge regenerates and grows to cover the entire dorsal surface of the crab.

The early confusion in the nomenclature of this species reflects the marked sexual dimorphism seen in adults. Immature males, like females, do not have as expanded chelae as mature males, nor is there a gape between the fingers.