( 82 ) 



Carapace not greatly depressed, its greatest breadth, across the branchial 

 regions, is about seven-tenths of its length in the middle line ; with tufts of 

 red or yellow bristles in the vicinity of the anterior and antero-lateral 

 borders. 



Eyestalks subcylindrical, very little broadened distally, about five-sixths 

 as long as the anterior border of the carapace, about the same length as the 

 antennular peduncles and much longer than the antennal. The eyes do 

 not take up a fourth of the terminal joint of the eyestalk. 



Antennal acicle setose and slightly spinulose, only just overlapping the 

 base of the last joint of the antennal peduncle. 



The chelipeds and crawling legs, especially in their last 3 joints and on 

 the extensor surfaces, are thickly beset with tufts of long red, or red-and- 

 white, or brownish-yellow bristles, and with black-tipped thorn-like spines : 

 in addition, there are stronger teeth along the crest-like inner border of the 

 ischium and merus and along the upper border of the wrist and hand of the 

 left cheliped. 



The left cheliped is vastly larger than the right, its length measured in 

 a straight line, as a chord, being about half again as long as the carapace 

 measured in the middle line. The crawling legs on the right side are the 

 longer, and reach well beyond the tip of the left cheliped. The greatest 

 breadth of the subcylindrical propodite of the 3rd left leg is between two- 

 fifths and one-third the greatest length. 



Colours in spirit : carapace, external maxillipeds and chelipeds and legs 

 red (much lighter on the carapace) with very numerous white or bluish- 

 white-centred, black-edged ocelli : eyestalks maroon. 



This is the largest species of the true Pa^uridcB of the Indian fauna: a 

 specimen brought by Mr. Stanley Gardiner from the Maldives has a carapace 

 more than 70 millim. {2% inches) long. 



Distribution : from the Red Sea and east coast of Africa eastwards 

 through the Indo-Pacific to the Liu-Kiu Islands, Australia, and the Sand- 

 wich Islands; that is to say, from about 40°E. to about 1 50° W., and from 

 about 28°N. to about 3o°S. 



355. Andamans. J. Wood-Mason (12). 



— --■ Mergui. Dr. J. Anderson (2). 



6 



Suhelipar, Laccadives. "Investigator" (4). 



This species is very common in the tidal pools of coral reefs and islands 

 in Indian Seas. 



