FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 73, NO. 3 



pair of long, broad lateral blades; the posterior 

 parts of the blades are continuous with rigid ven- 

 tromesial extensions or flaps flanking the 

 posterolateral portions of the geminate body, and 

 terminate in large caudal lobes. The flanges, ex- 

 tremely short and extending caudolaterally, are 

 hidden by the ventromesial extensions. 



The thick ventral wall of each spermatophore 

 broadens at the level of the wing and from there 

 tapers anteriorly continuing as a bridge (marked 

 by a dorsal concavity) joining a firm, fanlike 

 anterior lobe (Figure 6A). This lobe is bordered 

 anteromesially by a rib that is produced laterally 

 in a small projection, and its lateral margin bears a 

 shallow emargination which demarks two lateral 

 convexities, the posterior one is hollow. The ven- 

 tral wall and the thick caudal portion of the lateral 

 wall join in an acute angle, and continue in a short, 

 heavily sclerotized, caudal flange. A dorsolateral 

 rib marks the junction of the mostly thin and 

 translucent lateral wall with the dorsomesial wall, 

 and serves as the base of the blade. The blade 

 exhibits two lateral constrictions that mark three 

 sections: the anterior one is broad, roughly 

 subelliptical, and delimited posteriorly by a trans- 

 verse rib; the median section, also broad, is sub- 

 trapezoidal, and the posterior one narrow and 



bends around the apex of the caudal lobe, finally 

 turning mesially to join the posterior border of the 

 flange. The caudal lobe is the rather flexible ex- 

 tremity of the rigid ventromesial extension 

 projecting from the line along which the flange 

 and corresponding blade meet. A narrow, irides- 

 cent membrane runs along the margin of the ven- 

 tromesial extension, which sustains a glutinous 

 material on its inner surface (the membrane is not 

 represented in Figure 6A, D for the sake of 

 clarity). The rigid and translucent dorsomesial wall 

 (Figure 6B) completes the sperm sac, which ter- 

 minates and opens anteriorly at the base of the 

 anterior lobe, mesial to the base of the wing. 



The small wing (Figure 6C) is roughly subellip- 

 tical in ventral view, but bears a proximodorsal 

 lobular process and is produced distally and 

 posteriorly in a ventrally turned fold continuous 

 with a small shelf at the base of the process 

 (Figure 5C). A rigid but fragile lamina (Figures 

 5C, 6A, B) lies at the base of, and perpendicular to 

 the anterior lobe; it extends from the mesial part 

 of the sperm sac laterally almost to the tip of the 

 wing. This peculiar lamina bears on its mesial 

 border two conspicuous projections with a small 

 ridge between them; one of the projections is dor- 

 sally located, flattened and strongly curved 



Figure 6.-Penaeus {Litopenaeus) occidentalis. A, Ventrolateral view of left spermatophore (dorsal plate removed) dissected from 

 terminal ampulla, (Joff Bella Vista, Panama. B, Dorsomesial view of same specimen. C, Ventral view of wing as attached to 

 female,? 35.5 mm cl, off Panami Province, Panami. D, Lateral view of dorsal plate,cfof f Punta Soldado, Buenaventura, Colombia. 

 al, anterior lobe; cl, caudal lobe; I, lamina. Other abbreviations as in Figure 1. 



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