Cuban Stone Crab

Menippe nodifrons Stimpson, 1859

Menippe nodifrons.—Frade, 1950:11, 26 [Congo].—Capart, 1951:138, fig. 49 [Guinea].—Monod, 1956:222, figs. 244–248 [Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Rio Muni; references].—Longhurst, 1957:374 [Sierra Leone]—Rossignol, 1957:82 [Congo].—Buchanan, 1958:20 [Ghana].—Longhurst, 1958:88 [Sierra Leone].—Gauld and Buchanan, 1959:127 [Ghana].—Gauld, 1960:70 [Ghana].—Rossignol, 1962:116 [Congo].—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962: 50 [Angola].—Monod, 1967:180, pl. 17: fig. 3 [no material].—Le Loeuff and Intès, 1968, table 2 [Ivory Coast].—Guinot, 1968b:156 [discussion].—Uschakov, 1970:445, 446, 447, 455 [listed; Guinea].—Guinot, 1971: 1076 [listed].

Menippe nanus.—Capart, 1951:140 [discussion].

Menippe.—Gauld and Buchanan, 1959:128 [Ghana].

SYNONYMS.—Menippe rudis A. Milne Edwards, 1879; Menippe nanus A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1898.

DISTRIBUTION.—Eastern Atlantic from the Cape Verde Islands and Senegal to Angola; western Atlantic from Florida to Brazil (Rathbun, 1930); littoral and sublittoral, from shore to about 20 m.

Microcassiope Guinot, 1967c:358 [type-species: Xanthodes rufopunctatus A. Milne Edwards, 1869, by original designation; gender: feminine]; 1971:1076 [list of species].

*Microcassiope minor (Dana, 1852)

Xantho minor Dana, 1852b:169; atlas, 1855, pl. 8: fig. 7.—Miers, 1881a:214; 1886:124 [listed].

Pilumnus granulimanus Stimpson, 1871a:143 [Cuba].

Micropanope granulimanus.—Rathbun, 1930:439, pl. 180: figs. 1, 2 [western Atlantic records].

Micropanope granosa.—Chapman and Santler, 1955:374.

Micropanope rufopunctata.—Monod, 1956:313, figs. 386–392. Gauld, 1960:70.—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:59.—Monod, 1963, fig.34 [no material].—Ribeiro, 1964:10—Forest and Guinot, 1966:81.—Chace, 1966:639, fig. 8.—Guinot, 1967c:348 [discussion], 358 [listed].—Le Loeuff and Intès, 1968, table 1.—Türkay, 1976b:61 [listed], 69.

Microcassiope rufopunctata.—Guinot, 1967c, figs. 10, 15; 1971: 1076 [listed].

Xanthodes rufopunctata.—Guinot, 1967c:359 [listed].

Xanthodes rufopunctatus.—Garth, 1968:314 [discussion].

Microcassiope granulimanus.—Guinot, 1971:1076 [listed; considered to be distinct from M. rufopunctata].

SYNONYMS.—Xanthodes rufopunctatus A. Milne Edwards, 1869; Xanthodes granosus A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1898.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: Annobon: Sta 282,18–37 m, nodular coralline algae, 3, 5, 2 juv (L, W).

Other Material: Madeira: Ponta de São Lourenço, 32°44′N, 16°44′W, littoral, rocky shore with tide pools, 29 Feb 1976, Onversaagd Sta 16, 1 (L). SE coast, near Canical, 32°44′N, 16°44′W, 0–22 m, shore collecting, snorkeling, diving, 11 Mar 1976, Onversaagd Sta 48, 1 (L).

Cape Verde Islands: Porto da Praia (as La Praya), São Tiago, 10–30 m,Jun–Jul 1883, Talisman, syntype of Xanthodes granosus A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1898, 1, 1 (L, W).

Annobon: S coast, 01°28.5′S, 05°37.5′E, 35–55 m, 16 Jun 1967, F. Poinsard, 1 (W).

DESCRIPTION.—A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1900:87.

Figures: Monod, 1956, figs. 386–392.

Male Pleopod: Monod, 1956, figs. 387–392 (Azores, Cape Verde Islands); Chace, 1966, fig. 8 (St. Helena, Curaçao, Cape Verde Islands); Guinot, 1967c, fig. 15 (Cape Verde Islands).

MEASUREMENTS.—Our specimens have carapace widths of 2.5 to 9.1 m.

DISTRIBUTION.—Atlantic Ocean. Eastern Atlantic from the eastern Mediterranean (see Lewinsohn and Holthuis, 1964:59, for records), the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands, the African mainland from Spanish Sahara, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, and the offshore islands of the Gulf of Guinea, Principe, Sâo Tomé, and Annobon; central Atlantic from Saint Helena (Chace, 1966); western Atlantic from the Bahamas, Cuba, Curaçao, and Isias Los Roques (Chace, 1966); intertidal to a depth of ca 220 m, commoner in shallower water. Monod (1956) summarized earlier West African records and reported material from the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands, and Ghana. Other West African records in the literature include the following:

West Africa: No specific locality (Monod, 1963).

Azores: Pasteleiro, Feteira, and Horta, Ilha do Faial, intertidal (Chapman and Santler, 1955).

Madeira: Porto do Funchal, ca 220 m, on telegraph cable; Ilhéu do Gorgulho, littoral; between Ponta da Garajau and Ponta da Oliveira, 5–6 m (all Türkay, 1976b).

Cape Verde Islands: No specific locality (Guinot, 1967c). Baixo Joäo Leitäo, 25 m (Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962; Ribeiro, 1964). Porto da Praia (as La Praya), Sâo Tiago (Chace, 1966).

Spanish Sahara: 21°05′N, 17° 14′W, 43–45 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Ivory Coast: Lagoon of Abidjan, 05°16′N, 04°01′20″W, (Forest and Guinot, 1966). Off Jacqueville, 40 m (Le Loeuff and Intès, 1968).

Ghana: Off Tenkpobo (as Tenpobo), littoral; off Accra, 37 m (Gauld, 1960).

Principle: Ilhéu Caroço, 2–8 m; Ponta da Mina, beach (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Sâo Tomé: 00°20′N, 06°46′E, 10 m; Ponta Diogo Vaz, W coast, 0–6 m; Praia de Santa Catarina, W coast, 3–10 m; off Sâo Tomé, 8 m; off Ponta Diogo Nunes, shore and 4–5 m; in front of Ponta Oquedelrei, 6 m; Morro Peixe, 26 m; Ilhéu das Cabras, shore; in front of the harbormaster's office, shore; in front of Praia Lagarto, 5–6 m (all Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Annobon: No specific locality (Guinot, 1967c). 01°24′ 04″S, 05°36′45″E, 7–10 m; 01°25′12″S, 05°36′05″E, 20 m; Isla Tortuga, NW coast, 15–40 m (all Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Saint Helena: Rupert's Bay, 0–75 m; James Bay (Chace, 1966).

Monodaeus Guinot, 1967c:369 [type-species: Xantho couchii Couch, 1851, by original designation;gender: masculine]; 1971:1074 [list of species]

Menippe nodifrons, the Cuban stone crab, is a species of crab found in tropical warm waters in the west Atlantic Ocean. It is common in parts of Brazil, occurring in the United States in east-central Florida and on energy platforms off Louisiana’s coast.

Shallow-waters (0-100 m)

Hard bottom (rock and rubbles)