Heteronucia perlata

(Sakai, 1963)

The entire animal is thickly covered with pearly granules of various sizes. The carapace is globular, nearly as long as broad; there is a pair of lateral grooves, which define the cardiac region on either side; these grooves are posteriorly connected with the circular groove, by which the intestinal region is defined and isolated from the cardiac and branchial regions. The hepatic region is also defined from the gastric and branchial regions by a groove, which extends forward towards the postorbital area, where the carapace is extremely sunk.
The ventral side of the body is also thickly covered with rather flat granules. The basal antennal segment occupies the interval between the outer edge of the antennular fossa and the inner inferior edge of the orbit; the orbital fossa is thus entirely excluded from the antennular fossa by the basal antennal segment.
The chelipeds are rather short and robust, the carpus is relatively small and subglobular, the propodus is inflated in the middle and the fingers are distinctly longer than the propodus. The prehensile edges of the fingers are uniformly beset with tiny low triangular teeth. The ambulatory legs are rather robust, each segment is thickly covered with pearly granules; a few hairs are scattered on the propodus and dactylus.
Measurements: Male holotype, length of carapace 8.0 mm, width of same 8.5 mm. (T. Sakai, 1963)

Type locality: Amadaiba, off Hayama, Sagami Bay, Japan, 65-85 m.
Range: Japan - Sagami Bay and Tosa Bay (Sakai, 1963, 1965, 1976); East China Sea; Philippines - north of Lubang (Serène & Vadon, 1981, Chen H., 1989); 65-131 m.

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