Zoology.} NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Crustacea. 



Plates 149 and 150. 



PALINURUS LALANDI (Lam. MSS.). 

 Southern Spiny Lobster (Melbourne Crawfish). 



[Genus PALINURUS (Fabr.). (Restricted to Milne Edwards, first section, with rostrum, 

 &c). (Sub-kingdom Articulata. Class Crustacea. Order Decapoda. Section Macroura. 

 Tribe Astacidea. Family Palinurida?.) 



Gen. Char. — Carapace subcylindrical, broadly rounded on sides, with a small rostrum. 

 Antennary segment very narrow above. Antenna? without basal scale, nearly in contact at 

 base, covering the inner antennas ; basal joints long, subcylindrical, flagella of inner antennae 

 very short. Anterior legs monodactyle. Sternum trigonal.] 



Description. — Male: Carapace covered with large, flattened, ovate, sub-spinose 

 tubercles, each with a narrow fibrous fringe on front and sides ; two rows of 

 narrow and more pointed spines extending' backwards from each supraocular spine, 

 largest in front, and four or five extending- half-way back on sides from a large 

 spine in middle of front lateral margin, and a few similar ones irregularly scattered. 

 Two supraocular spines, large, smootb, inclining obliquely forwards, with a straight 

 front edge and convex posterior edge. Rostrum small, more advanced than the 

 supraocular spines, but not reaching front edge of carapace, varying from straight 

 and horizontal (which is rare) to much arched upwards (which is the most common), 

 and straight and pointed vertically upwards (which is the least common) ; on each 

 side of base of rostrum a lunate extension, with its posterior spine directed upwards 

 and its anterior spine upwards and forwards. Abdominal segments with three or four 

 irregular transverse rows of large, flattened, scale-like tubercles, very irregular in size 

 and shape, each fringed with short fibres ; each segment ending laterally in a large 

 compressed spine arched backwards, behind which is one small, strong, flattened 

 spine, the edge beyond which is usually smooth, but sometimes showing two 

 to five small tooth-like serratures; anterior legs with a small conical spine at distal 

 lower edge of penultimate joint; no spine on antepenultimate joint; a very large, 

 conical, compressed spine on anterior third of lower edge of third joint; the largest 

 conical spine on anterior lower edge of second joint of first pair of legs, with from 

 one to four very small ones on ridge immediately behind its base; all the five legs 

 have the upper ridge of third joint terminating in a sharp, conical spine directed 

 forwards ; rarely there is a very small spine at the inner base of the constant ridge- 

 spine on some of the legs, and, still more rarely, a third small spine on outer edge. 

 Colour: Dorsal aspect of carapace rich, brownish purple-madder, the fringed 

 edges of scale-shaped tubercles lighter yellowish-brown ; rostrum and superciliar 

 spines redder and tipped with light orange-red ; lateral portion of hepatic region 

 whitish, with tubercles of colour of back; an irregular, narrow, whitish line 

 from anterior end of nuchal furrow to posterior lateral angle of carapace; 

 large antenna? nearly colour of back, more pink, fringed edges of joints lighter, 

 and with spines on basal portion tipped with orange-red ; smaller antennae colour 



Vol. II.— Decade XV.— 2 e. [ 189 [ 



