no. 3606 ODONTODACTYLUS — MANNING 27 



by a pit and the claw has nine teeth. No differences could be found 

 between it and specimens of similar size from the Indo-West Pacific. 

 A western Atlantic specimen compared with the type is smaller but 

 apparently identical. 



0. brevirostris has a comparatively larger eye at any size than any 

 other species of the genus. Kemp (1911, 1913) commented upon the 

 large size of the eyes in his specimens of 0. southwelli. 



Juveniles of 0. brevirostris, TL 13-30 mm (fig. 7), may not have the 

 full complement of carinae on the last abdominal somite and telson. 

 The carinae may be present in specimens as small as TL 16-20 mm 

 (fig. 8) and absent in specimens as large as TL 27 mm. 



Five specimens of large postlarvae have been examined. Data on 

 postlarvae and juveniles are summarized as follows: 



1. Small postlarvae (telson with median and submedian carinae 

 only) : 



All larger specimens have the telson provided with the normal 

 complement of carinae. 



The small and large postlarvae appear to be identical except for 

 size. All large postlarvae are from Indo-West Pacific whereas small 

 postlarvae and small juveniles may occur in both the Atlantic and 

 the Indo-West Pacific. 



There are several possible explanations for the differences in size 

 of the postlarvae. The term "postlarva" is used for young specimens 

 at the first intermolt state after the last pelagic larval stage. In 

 Alima hyalina (see Manning, 1962) the postlarva is a distinct, bent hie 

 stage intermediate between the last larva and the first-stage juvenile. 

 Alima has but one postlarval stage; with the next molt it assumes 

 features that are more characteristic of the adult. In Odontodactylus 



