Zoology.} NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [_Crustacea. 



Plate 159. 



PALINURUS HUGELI (Heller). 



Sydney Craw-eish, or Spiny Lobster. 



Genus PALINURUS (Fab.). (First section, with rostrum.) (Sub-kingdom Articulata. 

 Class Crustacea. Order Decapoda. Section lilacrura. Tribe Astacidea. Family Palinuridae.) 



Gen. Char. — Carapace sub-cylindrical, broadly rounded on sides, with a small rostrum. 

 Antennary segment very narrow above. Antenna; without basal scales, nearly in contact at 

 base, covering the inner antennae ; basal joints long, sub-cylindrical ; flagella of inner antennae 

 very short ; anterior legs monodactyle ; sternum trigonal. 



Description. — Carapace semi-fusiform, narrowed in front, convex above; upper 

 surface and upper half of sides covered with large sub-cylindrical tubercles, directed 

 forwards and upwards, and each terminated with a small sharp spine ; a wide, smooth, 

 transverse sulcus a little in advance of the hind margin, behind which the one or 

 two rows of spines are smaller; rostrum strong, conical, sharp-pointed, slightly 

 compressed, smooth, extending forwards more than half its length in advance of 

 front; upper edge straight, horizontal, or very slightly inclined upwards; a small 

 compressed spine in front of orbit on each side of base of rostrum ; supra-ocular 

 spines large, shorter than rostrum, smooth, compressed, sharp-pointed, diverging 

 forwards, upwards and outwards ; infra-ocular spine on lower front edge of carapace 

 from hepatic region, rather smaller than the rostrum ; the spinose tubercles cease at 

 a line extending from the anterior lateral angle of the carapace to the posterior 

 lateral angle, and below this level the sides of the carapace are smooth or with 

 microscopic granules. Anterior legs slender, penultimate joint with one small spine, 

 at one-third its length from base on inner side ; third joint compressed to inner 

 ridge, which has one strong spine near anterior edge, and one smaller a little in 

 front of posterior edge ; upper or dorsal ridge of all the legs ending in a short spine 

 in front, and with a smaller one at outer fi-ont edge ; legs otherwise nearly smooth. 

 Abdominal segments nearly uniformly arched and convex, nearly smooth, with very 

 fine, irregular granules and puncta, the posterior edge of sixth segment fringed 

 with small spinous tubercles directed backwards, lateral spinose ends of all-iut first 

 segment with seven or eight serratures gradually diminishing in size on hinder edge ; 

 telson oblong, rounded at end, with longitudinal rows of spinose tubercles, lateral 

 lobes of tail with rows of very much smaller spines on outer basal half Color: 

 Upper surface of carapace and abdomen dark olive-brown ; smooth sides of thorax 

 and lateral spines of abdomen rich reddish-chestnut, with few small, scattered, cream- 

 colored spots ; a very conspicuous, cream-colored, narrow line extends from the 

 anterior to the posterior lateral angle of carapace, a little below the level at which 

 the spinous tuberculation of back ceases, and a similar one, at right angles to its 

 anterior third, joins similarly colored lower edge; spines, terminating tubercles of 

 back, and antennae, black, with cream-color bases ; antennae and legs reddish-chestnut- 

 brown, legs sparingly flecked with cream-color ; five lobes of tail rich dull-brownish- 

 orange in middle, with blackish borders. Measurements: Total length from tip of 



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