Minyocerus angustus Dana 1852

Minyocerus angustus (Dana, 1852)

(Fig. 1 D)

Porcellana angusta Dana, 1852: 423 (type-locality: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro). Minyocerus angustus —Stimpson, 1858: 229.

Porcellana rosamondae Boone, 1930: 79, plate 21.

Material examined. Brazil: Ceará—Fortaleza, Praia do Mucuripe, 1 male (MNRJ-1422). Alagoas—Maceió, 3 males, 1 ovigerous female (MZUSP-17473); Pontal do Peba, 1 female (LabMar-2084). Bahia—Itacuruçá, 1 male (MZUSP-9465). Rio de Janeiro—Ilha Grande, R/V “Prof. W. Besnard”, st. 211, 13.5 m, 1 male, 2 ovigerous females (MZUSP-7173). São Paulo—Ubatuba, 1 male (MZUSP-9492). Santa Catarina—Praia da Daniela, 3 males, 1 female (MZUSP-9556).

Recognition characters. Carapace subrectangular, distinctly longer than broad, slightly rugose; strong epibranchial spine. Front with single acute tooth. Inner and outer orbital angles strongly produced into acute teeth. Antennule well developed; basal article with 3 spines on distal margin. Antenna poorly developed. Chelipeds thin and elongated, slightly rugose, with simple setae; merus with well-developed distal spine on flexor margin; carpus with 2 or 3 spines on flexor margin; propodus fringed with setae on extensor margin; fingers with row of small tubercles on cutting face. Gonopods present in males. Telson composed of 7 plates.

Habitat. Associated with echinoderms on sandy bottoms from intertidal region (Gore & Shoup 1968; Veloso & Melo 1993) to 27 m (Gore 1974).

Geographic distribution. Western Atlantic—Belize; Honduras; Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama, Limón Bay and Colón; Colombia, Gulf of Morosquillo and Santa Marta; Venezuela, La Tortuga, Margarita and Cubagua Islands; Suriname; and Brazil (from Pará to Santa Catarina).

Variation. As reported by Gore & Shoup (1968), there are some intraspecific variations in the number of spines on merus of chelipeds, number of setae on carapace and flexor margin of chelipeds, and width of carapace.