( 145 ) 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON BRITISH 



STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA. 



By Edward Lovett. 



(Continued from vol x., p. 177.) 



Nika edulis, Risso. 

 This remarkable crustacean, belonging to a genus of which 

 only two species are known on our shores, is also very rare, 

 except in isolated localities, where it is sometimes fairly 

 abundant. It may, however, probably occur more generally 

 than is supposed, for, having a general resemblance when boiled 

 to one of the prawns, it may often pass and be even eaten 

 unnoticed and uncared for. As it occurs in such spots as are 

 frequented by prawns, it may be looked for with a prospect of 

 success amongst the " catch " of a prawn-fisher. Its general 

 description is as follows : — Carapace in appearance somewhat 

 like that of the Lesser Prawn, but with this striking difference — 

 the rostrum, instead of being large, serrated, and curved, is 

 simple, straight, and very small ; there is a spine on either side 

 of it protecting the eyes. The antennae are very long and 

 slender, and the legs are also rather long ; the first pair are so 

 remarkable that Bell, in his standard work, says that by this 

 peculiarity this genus may be distinguished from every other 

 form of crustacean. The one is a pincer-claw, similar in this 

 respect to the primary legs of crustaceans in general; the 

 other a simple terminal hook -joint ; or, in other words, one foot 

 is didactyle and the other monodactyle. So far as I have been 

 able to examine specimens, I have found the right foot to be the 

 one armed with a pincer, and the left the one-fingered limb in 

 every case ; I was, however, prepared to find exceptions to this 

 rule, and they may occur, as in the case of species already referred 

 to; the right or left is the " large" claw, though generally the 

 right, and I consider the irregularity in this species corresponds 

 to the difference in size of claws in other species and genera. 

 This disparity in the sizes of corresponding limbs I have already 

 discussed in former notes. 



The colour of this species is a bright transparent pink, 

 becoming, however, an opaque but bright red when boiled, even 



