177 



2nd segment of pereopods V and of the uropods are all highly variable. 

 This served as a basis for describing different specimens as independent 

 species or subspecies. However, we often came across specimens occupy- 

 ing an intermediate position, which could not be assigned to a particular 

 subspecies since in some characters they are close to one while in other 

 150 characters they are closer to others. For example, the specimen found by 

 us in the Indian Ocean, in the shape of the outer lobes of the maxillipeds 

 and ornamentation of the uropods III is close to S. uncipes uncipes, in 

 the shape of the 6th segment of pereopods III could be included under 

 S. spinosa affinis, and in the structure of pereopods VII under S. uncipes 

 lamperti, according to the illustration given by Wagler. This provides a 

 basis for considering S. spinosa a single, highly variable species while 

 bearing in mind that after a detailed analysis of a fairly large amount 

 of material from different regions of the ocean, it might be possible to 

 separate the actual subspecies that exist. 



Scina indica, S. pubera, S. stebbingi, and S. alberti are quite close 

 to S. spinosa. These species form a more or less compact group. 



Distribution: S. spinosa is known from the tropical regions of the 

 Indian (except the northeastern part of the Arabian Sea) and Pacific oceans, 

 from the northern part of the Pacific Ocean (including the deepwater 

 regions of the Bering Sea) and from the southern regions of the Atlantic 

 (up to 55° S) and Indian (up to 64° S) oceans. It is most frequently 

 found at depths of 200-1 ,000 m, but also in deeper layers ( 1 ,000-4,000 m). 

 Evidently, it does not rise to depths less than 200-500 m. 



9. Scina indica Vinogradov, 1964 (Fig. 68) 



Vinogradov, 1964: 133. 



Size of sexually mature females 6^8 mm; males not known. 



The body, as in S. spinosa, is thickset. The antennae are shorter than 

 the pereon, strong with large forwardly bent spines on both sides. 



The outer lobes of the maxillipeds are short, sharply tapering dis- 

 tally. Pereopods I and II are also similar in structure to S. spinosa. In 

 pereopods I the 6th segment is slightly shorter than the 5th, and in pere- 

 opods II it is equal to the 5th segment; the claw is long and straight. 

 Pereopods III and IV are identical in structure; the distally slightly taper- 

 ing 6th segment is shorter than the 5th but equal to the 4th; the distal part 

 of the posterior margin of the 6th segment lacks a notch. The 2nd seg- 

 ment of pereopods V is longer than the rest of the segments together, its 

 posterior and especially the anterior margin is armed with long, strong, 

 slightly curved denticles reaching beyond the anterior margin of the long 

 distal process whose tip almost reaches the distal end of the 4th segment; 

 the 5th segment is equal to the 4th and slightly longer than the 6th. Pere- 

 opods VI are considerably shorter than pereopods V; the 2nd segment is 

 shorter than the 5 th and 6th together; the 4th segment is equal to the 5th 



