Malacoplax californiensis (Lockington, 1877)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 241-242

Malacoplax californiensis (Lockington, 1877)

( Fig. 56A)

Eucrate ? californiensis Lockington, 1877a: 33 .

Speocarcinus californiensis . — Holmes 1900: 77. — Rathbun 1904: 190, pl. 9, fig. 1; 1917: 42, text fig. 16, pl. 10, figs. 2–3. — Schmitt 1921: 249, fig. 148, pl. 34, fig. 7. — Johnson & Snook 1927: 389, fig. 346.

Malacoplax californiensis . — Guinot 1969: 259, fig. 27. — Garth & Abbott 1980: 612, fig. 25.30. — Ricketts et al. 1985: 357, fig. 274. — Hubbard & Dugan 1989: 55. — Jensen 1995: 33, fig. 50.

Diagnosis. Carapace nearly smooth, width of front over 0.25 times width of carapace, front notched in center; anterolateral carapace margins strongly curved, furnished with 3 teeth apiece. Third maxillipeds diverging anteriorly. Chelipeds unequal; carpus with spine on antero-internal angle, ridge at distal end of outer surface; hands wide, compressed; upper edge acute, sharply granulated, fingers ridged, nearly straight. Pereopod 5 upturned, relatively short. Carapace length 20.8 mm.

Color in life. Brownish to white, chelae with apices of fingers black ( Jensen (1995). The photograph by Garth & Abbott (1980) appears to be that of a preserved specimen.

Habitat and depth. Usually middle to low intertidal zones of mud flats, intertidal zone to 33 m.

Range. Morro Bay , California to Magdalena Bay, Baja California ; but usually south of Point Conception. Type locality San Diego, California .

Remarks. Malacoplax californiensis , the California burrowing crab, is uncommon and may be endangered by habitat destruction.