Carapace longitudinally quadrate and covered with very short hairs; gastric regions armed with nine tubercles, of which one is at posterior median region. Rostrum small bidentate at its tip, and a spine at each side base of rostrum which is slightly smaller than supraorbital spine. A large spine at anterior part of lateral border of carapace, and a second spine a little farther back followed by a series of spinules. Chelipeds long, and upper borders of merus and carpus armed with a row of spinules. Ambulatory legs long and compressed; anterior border of each merus armed with some strong spines. In the last reduced leg posterior borders of merus and propodus with spinules, with distal two segments forming a subchela.
Distribution:
Previously known from the West Atlantic from southern Massachusetts to the Caribbean Sea, and in the East Atlantic from the Mediterranean and Portugal to South Africa, 55-670 m deep.
Remarks:
This species is very close to the Indo-West Pacific congener, H. orientalis Henderson, but readily distinguished from it by the absence of spines on the lower borders of the ambulatory meri.