Munida quadrispina Benedict, 1902

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 147

Munida quadrispina Benedict, 1902

( Fig. 34E, F; Pl.7 B)

Munida quadrispina Benedict, 1902: 269 , fig. 17. — Rathbun 1904: 166. — Schmitt 1921: 165, fig. 10. — Goodwin 1952: 395. — Pereyra & Alton 1972: 450. — Wicksten 1980c: 363; 1982: 245; 1989: 315. — Hart 1982: 168, fig. 66. — Burd & Brinkhurst 1984: 1, figs. 2, 8. — Jensen 1995: 73, fig. 145. — Hendrickx 2003a: 126, figs. 5A, B; 7–9.

Diagnosis. Rostrum long, spine-like; flanked by pair of supraocular spines reaching to cornea of eye. Carapace with ridges, 8–10 lateral spines, 6 gastric spines. Chelipeds with numerous spines, slender fingers of chela. Pereopods 2–4 armed with short spines. Abdomen without spines except for few spinules on tail fan. Carapace length to 67 mm, usually smaller.

Color in life. Reddish brown, ridges red with grooves white, blue spots in cervical groove. Apices of fingers of chelae white. Pereopods 2–4 with irregular red bands.

Habitat and depth. Among rocks, gravel, mud, and sponge beds, 12–1463 m. Tolerates areas of low oxygen concentration.

Range. Sitka , Alaska to Los Coronados Is., Mexico. Type locality off Cape Beale, Vancouver I. (Albatross sta. 2878) .

Remarks. This craylet has been observed feeding on zooplankton. Burd & Brinkhurst (1984) observed that crabs occurred in higher densities with less within-species aggressive behavior in areas of low oxygen concentration. The craylet can swim by flapping the abdomen.