Boone, Crustacea, Cruises of "Eagle" and " Ara," 1921-28 91 



Panulirus laevicauda Moreira, Archiv, Mus. Nat. Rio de Janeiro, vol. 

 XI, p. 17, 1901. — A. Gruvel, Ann. I'lnstitut Oceanographique, 

 Monaco, t. Ill, p. 45, text fig. 21, 1912. — Boone, Proc. Biol. Soc. 

 Washington, vol. 35, pp. 137-140, 1922. 



Panulirus argus Latreille. 

 Plate 25. 



Type: The type came from the Antilles and is deposited in the 

 Paris Museum. 



Distribution: Southern Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico 

 and West Indies to the northern coast of South America, as far down 

 as the mouth of the Amazon. Rare in Brazilian waters. 



Material examined: One very large and one medium-size adult 

 from the Bay Biscayne, Fla., March, 1923. One average-size and one 

 small adult from Miami, Fla., 1923. One fairly large specimen from 

 Miami, Fla., 1924. 



Color : Very variable. The more common color type has the cara- 

 pace mottled dark green and gray, becoming lighter on the sides ; the 

 abdomen is deep sea green, with the series of large, round, lateral spots 

 of yellow or cream. The tail is lighter green, with bands of pale green 

 and purplish black, the margin lighter, eyes black. Antennae bluish- 

 green with purplish tints. Under side of lobster bluish white. 



Technical description: Animal large, commonly with a body 

 length of 8 to 12 inches (exclusive of antennae) ; weight of one to two 

 pounds ; unusual records exist of specimens weighing 10 to 25 pounds. 

 Carapace robust, about as long as the abdomen exclusive of the telson ; 

 with the cervical suture deep, the preorbital or rostral horns very 

 sharp, long, curved and much compressed laterally. The entire cara- 

 pace is much more abundantly covered with spines than is that of 

 P. guttatus or P. laevicauda. The preorbital or rostral horns of P. 

 argus are much longer and sharper in proportion to its postorbital and 

 antennal spines than are those of the other two West Indian species. 

 The posterior margin of the carapace has a smooth carina with both 

 margins ciliated, a narrow groove just anterior to the carapace. Each 

 of the six abdominal segments has a distinct transverse groove; the 

 epimeral margin of each plate is produced into an acute, posteriorly 

 directed spine or tooth, and the second to sixth segments, inclusive, 

 each have a small tooth at the postlateral angle ; the posterior margin 



