Mediterranean Spider Crab

Maja squinado (Herbst, 1788)

Maja squinado.—Capart, 1951:98, fig. 32 [Spanish Sahara, Mauritania].—Monod, 1956:474, figs. 638–643 [Spanish Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea].—Figueira, 1960:11 [Azores].—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:75 [Cape Verde Islands, Angola].—Ribeiro, 1964:18 [Cape Verde Islands].—Forest and Guinot, 1966:95 [Guinea-Bissau].—Crosnier, 1967:339 [Gabon; Congo or Gabon].—Monod, 1967:182, pl. 16: fig. 2 [no localities].—Zariquiey Alvarez, 1968:446, figs. 149a, 150g,h [Spain; references].—Christiansen, 1969:131, fig. 54, map 47 [North Atlantic].—Kensley, 1970:180 [South-West Africa].—Ribeiro, 1973:6 [Cape Verde Islands].

Maïa squinado.—Sourie, 1954b:147 [Senegal].

Maia squinado.—Chapman and Santler, 1955:375 [Azores].—Forest and Gantés, 1960:356 [Morocco].—Gauld, 1960:72 [Ghana].—Maurin, 1968a:48; 1968b:484 [both Spanish Sahara].—Bas, Arias, and Guerra, 1976:169 [Spanish Sahara].

Maja squinada.—Massuti, 1970:127 [Rio Muni].

SYNONYM.—Maia squinado var. brachydactyla Balss, 1922.

DISTRIBUTION.—Eastern Atlantic, from the North Sea southward to South-West Africa, including the Mediterranean; sublittoral to about 75 m.

Phycodes A. Milne Edwards, 1869:374 [invalid junior homonym of Phycodes Guenée, 1852 (Lepidoptera); type-species: Phycodes antennarius A. Milne Edwards, 1869, a subjective junior synonym of Micropisa violacea A. Milne Edwards, 1867, by monotypy; gender: masculine].

Apiomithrax Rathbun, 1897b:164 [substitute name for Phycodes A. Milne Edwards, 1869; type-species: Phycodes antennarius A. Milne Edwards, 1869, by monotypy; gender: masculine].

abundant on west and south-west British coasts, less common in the North Sea.