SPERMATOPHORE 



Elongate and podlike, actually consisting of two 

 spermatophores ; in mature males each lying com- 

 pletely formed in paired terminal ampullae and 

 joined when discharged. Anterior end, when at- 

 tached to female, bearing pair of winglike lateral 

 processes, each armed with short triangular projec- 

 tion at posterior edge. Posterodorsal portioii ex- 

 tended into horizontal plate. 

 THELYCUM (figs. 17 and 18) 



Open type. Sternite XIV with two subparallel 

 anterolateral ridges running posteriorly without 

 turning medially; ridges followed posteriorly by 

 two protuberances, either rounded or subconical 

 with rather inconspicuous apices; very narrow 

 groove bordered by ribs, running along midline 

 of sternite between anterior portion of protuber- 

 ances. Strong median plate of sternite XIII with 

 emarginated, shelflike projection overhanging 

 sternite XIV; ridge on posterior margin of plate 

 prominent; on anterior portion of sternite XIII 

 fleshy tonguelike lamella bordered by minute setae 

 forming the floor of ca^dty roofed by strong trans- 

 verse ridge on posterior margin of sternite XII; 

 ridge of sternite XII (hidden by the structures 

 surrounding the gonojjores and coxae of third pair 

 of pereopods) with two pairs of strong projections, 

 lateral pair often more prominent. 

 COLOR 



P. schmitti is most frequently translucent white, 

 having an almost glasslike appearance, with pre- 

 dominantly dark blue chromatophores and a bluish, 

 grayish, greenish, or yellowish cast. Freshly 

 caught juveniles are variable in color but most 

 often light, with blue chromatoi^hores rather 

 sparsely distributed over the body and tail-fan; 



/■ ^ 



1 mm. 



FiGt EE 17. — Pcnaeus (L.) schmitti Burkenroad. Posterior 

 portion of sternite XII and tongvielike lamella of sternite 

 XIII, V .50.5 mm. c.L, off Guyana. 



WESTERN ATLANTIC SHRIMPS OF GENUS PENAEUS 



Figure 18. — Penaeus (L.) schmitti Burkenroad. Thely- 

 cum, 9 -1.3.5 mm. c.l., off Guyana. 



however, brownish or reddish-brown animals are 

 not uncommon inshore. 



Distribution and Morphological Variations 



P. schmitti ranges from Cuba throughout the 

 Greater Antilles and the Virgin Islands, appar- 

 ently reaching the Lesser Antilles ; it is also found 

 in Trinidad. On the Continental Shelf, white 

 shrimp are found from Belize, British Honduras, 

 along the Cai'ibbean Coast of Central America and 

 northern South America and throughout the At- 

 lantic Coast of South America to Laguna (lat. 

 28°29' S.), Brazil (fig. 19). P. schmitti vicariates, 

 or occupies the same Icind of habitat, as the allo- 

 patric northern wliite shrimp P. setiferus. 



Eldred and Hutton (1960) reported P. schmitti 

 from off Cape Kennedy, Fla. This record is based 

 on the statement by Harvey E. Bullis that during 

 exploratory trips aboard the Oregon in 19.56 and 

 1957, a number of specimens of this species were 

 caught but not preserved. I have examined collec- 

 tions of Penaeus from the same area and found no 

 P. schmitti. 



The Lesser Antilles have a single record of wliite 

 shrimp. According to Bate (1881), the description 

 of "P. setiferus'' by H. Milne Edwards (1837) 

 was based on one specimen from the Island of 



493 



