FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 73, NO. 3 



Figure \9.—Penaeus (Litopenaeus) setiferus. Ster- 

 nites XII and XIII bearing wings and paired 

 masses of sperm from a compound spermatophore 

 the geminate body of which has been lost, $32.5 

 mm cl, off Long Beach, N.C. 



released at the time of spawning. In some of these 

 females, however, as well as in others with 

 complete spermatophores, a part of each sperm 

 mass protrudes anteriorly from the passageway 

 between the wings and the body of the animal, and 

 even extends onto sternite XII. This indicates that 

 the spermatozoa might disperse anteriorly from 

 the gelatinous envelops surrounding the paired 

 sperm masses while the compound spermatophore 

 is still attached to the female and otherwise intact. 

 Thus, which of these methods is employed in the 

 release of the sperm must await observations of 

 live females immediately after copulation. 



Material 



The specimens examined by me are listed in 

 Perez Farfante (1969). Additional specimens 

 follow. 



UNITED STATES. 4 cf 3 $ [19 impregnated], 

 UNC-IMS, 0.8 km off Long Beach, (3.2 km E of 

 Lockwood's Folly), N.C, 6 m, 6 May 1949.- 3 c? 2 5 

 [impregnated], UNC-IMS, 0.8 km off Long Beach, 

 N.C, 6 m, 6 May 1949.- Ic? 29, [19 impregnated], 

 UNC-IMS, Beaufort Bar (between Sea Buoy and 

 Bar Buoy No. 1), N.C, 13-16 m, 6 July 1949, Penny. - 

 2$ [impregnated], USNM, Apalachicola Bay, Fla., 

 June 1974.- 19 [impregnated], USNM, SE of 

 Freeport, Tex., 15 m, 26 July 1973.- 19 [impregna- 

 ted], USNM, off Galveston, Tex., 1973.- 20 d", 

 USNM, off Galveston, Tex., 25 June 1974. 



Species Range 



Fire Island, N.Y., to Saint Lucie Inlet, Fla.; in 

 the Gulf of Mexico, from west Florida to the 

 vicinity of Ciudad Campeche, Campeche. 



ROLE OF COXAL PLATES IN 



RETENTION OF COMPOUND 



SPERMATOPHORE 



In the females of the various species of Li- 

 topenaeus, the coxal plates of the last three pairs of 

 pereopods exhibit specific variations which seem 

 to be associated with the position of the affixed 

 compound spermatophore and the function they 

 serve in holding it in place. In P. vannamei, in 

 which the spermatophore reaches anteriorly only 

 to the median protuberance of sternite XIII, the 

 coxae of the third pereopods are not produced 

 posteriorly into well-defined coxal plates. In con- 

 trast, the fourth pereopods bear large, flattened 

 coxal plates offering extensive support to the 

 anterior parts of the sperm sacs. The coxal plates 

 of the fifth pereopods are rather short, but 

 prominent, and directed mesially providing a base 

 of attachment for the ventrally elevated lateral 

 portions of the dorsal plates; thus, they are re- 

 sponsible in part for keeping the posterior parts of 

 the sacs raised well above the sternum. 



In P. occidentalis, the coxal plates of the third 

 pereopods are very elongate and strongly curved 

 anteromesially and dorsally in scooplike fashion. 



482 



