EARLY RECORDS OF GRIMOTHEA SHOALS 479 



however, state whether he regarded the Grimothea of New Zealand waters as the young 

 of M. gregaria or of M. subrugosa. Previous authors nevertheless have stated that they 

 had specimens in every way identical from both localities. 



In 1906 Lagerberg, working on the plentiful material of the Swedish South Polar 

 Expedition, gave a comparative account of the species M. gregaria and M. subrugosa, 

 showing that they differ in the form of the rostrum, the shape and spinulation of the 

 carapace, the shape of the abdomen, the shape of the eyes and eyestalks, in the shape 

 and spinulation of the chelae, and in the form of the external maxilliped. 



Chilton in 1909 discussed the relationship between Grimothea gregaria and M. sub- 

 rugosa and came to the conclusion that there was one species only. He said, " It is of 

 course only natural that the immature form should be pelagic in habit, while the mature 

 form inhabits the bottom of the sea ; and it seems likely that in this case, just as in some 

 other well-known animals, the immature stage may under certain circumstances be 

 prolonged, and even become sexually mature without completely losing its immature 

 characters. I consider then that the foliaceous maxillipeds of G. gregaria are associated 

 with its pelagic habit, and that in the absence of favourable circumstances (e.g. a suitable 

 sea bottom at moderate depth) it may continue pelagic, increase in size, and even become 

 sexually mature without losing its foliaceous maxillipeds ; but if it reaches a suitable 

 locality it adopts a more sedentary life on the bottom of the sea and in its subsequent 

 moults the external maxillipeds tend to become shorter and less foliaceous and are 

 infolded instead of being kept extended as in the pelagic form". This opinion appears 

 to be arrived at through confusing the adult M. gregaria and M. subrugosa, and in 

 ignorance of Lagerberg's earlier paper. 



In 191 1 Ortmann recorded specimens of both species from Patagonia and verified the 

 differences recorded by A. Milne Edwards. The Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing in 1914 recorded 

 specimens of both species from the Falkland Islands, but noted Chilton's view, and 

 pointed out that the generic name Grimothea appears to have precedence over Munida. 

 In 1 9 19 the same author recorded a very early zoea stage from the Falkland Islands. 



EARLY RECORDS OF SHOALS OF THE GRIMOTHEA STAGE 



OF M. GREGARIA 



Shoals of the pelagic Grimothea stage of M. gregaria have been noticed and recorded 

 by navigators from as early as the sixteenth century. 



In 1594 Sir Richard Hawkins ran into a cove in the Straits of Magellan of which he 

 says, " They sounded a cove some sixteene leagues from the mouth of the Straite, which 

 after we called Crabby Cove. It brooked its name well for two causes ; the one for that 

 all the water was full of a small kind of red crabbes ; the other, for the crabbed mountains 

 which overtopped it ; a third, we might adde, for the crabbed entertainment it gave us ". l 



In 1598 when Simon de Cordes, Sebald de Wert and Dirk Gherritz were sailing south 

 on March 12, "having passed Rio de la Plata, the sea appeared as red as blood. The 

 water was full of little red worms which, when taken up, jumped from the hand like 



1 Hawkins, Sir Richard, Observations in his voyage into the South Sea, 1593. London, 1622. 



