Neolithodes agassizii

Neolithodes agassizii has a pyrifrom carapace; the largest adult specimen when it was described, a female, had a carapace measuring {{Convert|123|mm|in|abbr=on}} in postrostral length and {{Convert|117|mm|in|abbr=on}} in width.{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=Sidney Irving|author-link=Sidney Irving Smith|title=Reports on the results of dredging under the supervisión of Alexander Agassiz, on the east coast of the United States during the summer of 1880, by the U.S. Coast Survey Steamer "Blake", Commander J.R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding|date=June 1882|journal=Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard College|volume=10|issue=1|pages=1–108|url=https://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/26543/26543.pdf|via=the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County|access-date=20 October 2024}} Whereas its carapace is about {{Frac|9|10}} as wide as it is long in adults, this is closer to {{Frac|8|10}} in juveniles. The spines around the margins of its carapace are slightly larger than those on its dorsal surface, and between these marginal spines are tubercles. Its rostrum is very short. Its chelipeds feature little spination and are similar in length, but the right is stouter than the left. Its rear walking legs – the longest pair – are nearly three times as long as the carapace width, and all of its dactyli are slightly curved and armed with small, sharp spines. Its underside features a symmetrical abdomen in juveniles, but in adults, there is a noticeable asymmetry in the third, fourth, and fifth segments: the left side is well-developed at the expense of the right side. Its second abdominal segment bears prominent spines.

Neolithodes agassizii is known from depths of {{Convert|200–1900|m|ft}}. and have been found as far south as Rio de Janeiro,{{Cite journal |last1=de Almeida Alves-Júnior |first1=Flavio |last2=Julianna |first2=de Lemos Santana |last3=Marina |first3=de Sá Leitão Câmara de Araûjo |last4=Siqueira Quirino |first4=Ana Maria |last5=Souza-Filho |first5=Jesser F. |display-authors=1 |date=27 July 2018 |title=New Records of Two Deep-Sea Crabs of the Family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea: Decapoda) in the Southwestern Atlantic |journal=Thalassas |volume=35 |pages=117–122 |doi=10.1007/s41208-018-0098-6 |s2cid=133766601 |quote=[...] while Neolithodes only has two species recorded from Brazil, Neolithodes agassizii (Smith, 1882) from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro [...]}} as far north as latitude 36°,{{Cite journal |last=Pohle |first=Gerhard W. |date=1992 |title=First Canadian record of Paralomis bouvieri Hansen, 1908 (Decapoda: Anomura: Lithodidae), infected by the rhizocephalan Briarosaccus callosus (Cirripedia: Peltogastridae) and carrying a hyperparasitic cryptoniscinid isopod (Epicaridea) |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238027420 |journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology |volume=70 |issue=8 |pages=1625–1629 |bibcode=1992CaJZ...70.1625P |doi=10.1139/z92-224 |via=ResearchGate}} and near the Equator.{{Cite journal |last=Macpherson |first=Enrique |date=1988 |title=Revision of the family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) in the Atlantic Ocean |url=https://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/12339/12339.pdf#page=26 |url-status=live |journal=Monografías de Zoología Marina |volume=II |pages=33–37 |issn=0213-4020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514090605/https://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/12339/12339.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2020 |via=the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County}} It has been found in the southwestern Caribbean Sea as well as the Gulf of Mexico.{{Cite journal |last1=Martínez-Campos |first1=Bibian |last2=Dueñas |first2=Luisa F. |last3=León |first3=Jorge |last4=Puentes |first4=Vladimir |date=2023 |title=Presence of the deep-sea lithodid crabs Neolithodes agassizii and Paralomis pectinata (Anomura, Lithodidae) in the Colombian Caribbean Sea |url=https://www.scopesscience.com/index.php/marep/article/view/26/22 |journal=Marine Reports |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.8050512 |issn=2822-5155 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |last1=Wicksten |first1=Mary K. |last2=Packard |first2=Jane M. |date=September 2005 |title=A qualitative zoogeographic analysis of decapod crustaceans of the continental slopes and abyssal plain of the Gulf of Mexico |journal=Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers |volume=52 |issue=9 |pages=1745–1765 |bibcode=2005DSRI...52.1745W |doi=10.1016/j.dsr.2005.04.006}}

• Neolithodes grimaldii, a species which small specimens of N. agassizii may be confused for
• Neolithodes indicus, a species originally misidentified as N. agassizii

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|2=Neolithodes agassizii}}
• {{Wikispecies-inline|2=Neolithodes agassizii}}

{{Lithodidae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q4469546}}

{{Portal bar|Crustaceans|Marine life}}

Category:King crabs

Category:Crustaceans described in 1882

Category:Anomura of the Atlantic Ocean

Category:Crustaceans of Brazil

Category:Biota of the Gulf of Mexico

Category:Crustaceans of the United States

Category:Taxa named by Sidney Irving Smith

{{Anomura-stub}}