Ericerodes hemphilli (Lockington, 1877)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 214-215

Ericerodes hemphilli (Lockington, 1877)

( Fig. 49G, Pl.11)

Microrhynchus hemphillii Lockington, 1877a: 30 .

Podochela hemphillii . — Holmes, 1900: 17. — Rathbun 1904: 1717, pl. 10, fig. 2; 1925:

49, pl. 18, pl. 209, fig. 2. — Weymouth 1910: 26, pl. 2, fig. 6. — Schmitt 1921: 195, text fig. 120.

Podochela hemphilli . — Garth 1958: 104, pl. H, fig. 6, pl. 7. — Ricketts et al. 1985: 420. — Jensen 1995: 25, fig. 26. — Hendrickx 1999: 28, fig. 15. — Kuris et al. 2007: 641.

Ericerodes hemphilli . — Coelho 2006: 7.

Diagnosis. Rostrum broad to acutely triangular, variable in length, ending in spine, with hooked setae. Carapace pyriform; gastric region prominent, rounded, bearing hooked setae; hepatic regions bearing 2 pointed tubercles; cardiac region separated by shallow grooves from branchial, bearing prominent elevation; branchial regions flattened or raised. No supraorbital tooth or spine, no tooth at posterior margin of orbit but sometimes small one short distance behind orbit. Eyestalk constricted at middle. Basal antennal article with longitudinal ridge on posterior 0.5–0.66 with groove on either side. Male with robust chelipeds, merus incurved, having outer spiny ridge; carpus with posterior spine on upper side, hand oblong, palm inflated, fingers gaping at base. Female chelipeds smaller, slender, fingers nearly straight. Pereopods 2–5 long, slender, furnished with hooked setae, dactyls slender, curved. Abdomen of male six-segmented, narrow; female abdomen with five segments, rounded; female sternum, ventral surface of abdomen concave. Male carapace length 34 mm, width 22.4 mm; 18.5 mm, width 11.5 mm.

Color in life. Dorsal surface of carapace pale olive buff with band of carmine along each side, two patches of carmine on cardiac region, two smaller patches on intestinal region. Chelipeds yellowish cream. Pereopods 2–5 marked with carmine. Lower body surface creamy white ( Garth 1958).

Habitat and depth. Docks, pilings, among low-growing algae on rocks, sand; shore to 166 m but usually at 100 m or less.

Range. Monterey Bay , California to Magdalena Bay, Baja California; Angel de la Guardia I., Gulf of California to Cape Corrientes, Colombia. Rarely reported north of San Miguel I., California. Type locality San Diego Bay, California .

Remarks. Ericerodes hemphilli frequently is covered by algae, hydroids or bryozoans which may be attached perpendicular to the axis of pereopods 2–5. The crab may store edible material among the hooked setae and then remove and eat it later.