Pugettia nipponensis

Rathbun, 1932

The body and ambulatory legs are densely covered with velvet-like tomentum; the carapace elongate pyriform, the regions are well defined and lumpy. The gastric region with a median posterior tubercle and a smaller one on either side a little in front of it. A small median anterior tubercle is sometimes present. The cardiac region very convex and conical; intestinal region with a small tubercle. The hepatic region with a conical lateral tooth and a smaller one above it. The branchial region is armed with a small, acuminate spinule at the postero-external angle, with three or four tubercles in a group on the epibranchial region and a small one on the inner surface of the epibranchial spine, and also a curved elongate one on outer side of the cardiac protuberance. There is a row of three tubercles don the lateral surface of the branchial region immediately above the epimeral ridge. The pseudorostral spines are very long and slender, usually little divergent and subparallel, but in some cases considerably divergent. The preocular spine moderately prominent, the postocular tooth not very large, but is somewhat stouter than the hepatic and epibranchial spines. The basal segment of antenna with two obscure tubercles on the outer border, one basal and the other terminal. The pterygostomial region has a curved row of three or four tubercles.
Arm of chelipeds prismatic, distally thickened, with three indistinct tubercles on the upper border. Wrist with its inner, upper and outer borders cristate; palm laterally compressed and its superior border sharply cristate. Ambulatory legs are very slender and thickly covered with velvet-like tomentum. (Sakai, 1938: 261)

Type locality: Doumiki Saki (?), Japan.
Range: Japan - Sagami Bay, Omae-zaki, Toba, Tanabe, Muroto-misaki and Kii Strait (Yokoya, 1933), Onahama, Sagami Bay and Shimoda (Sakai, 1938a), Sagami Bay (Sakai, 1965b), from Onahama, Fukushima Pref., to Tosa Bay, and coast of Kyushu (Sakai, 1976a), Nanki Sakai (Miyake, 1983), Tosa Bay (Baba, 1986), Sagami Bay and Goto-retto (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a), Suruga Bay (Takeda, 1997); East China Sea (Takeda & Miyake, 1969e); Indonesia - Ambon (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); 50-604 m.

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