279 



distal part of the 7th segment, modifying posteriorly into groups of very 

 fine short setules; the 7th segment is broadened, flattened in the middle, 

 and constricted toward the end, resembling a knife blade, whereby the 

 name of the species — cultripes (knife-legged); the distal half of the pos- 

 terior margin of the 7th segment is uniformly denticulate and the apices 

 of the denticles upcurved. 



The last of the epimeral plates has a slightly produced posterior mar- 

 gin. Urosomite I is almost half the length of the last somite of the pleon 

 and 2/3 of the last (geminate) urosomite, in which the posterior lateral 

 angles project markedly backward. The rami of uropods I-II are equal 

 in length. The basipodite of uropods I is denticulate on the outer and 

 distal margin; the margins of the exopodite are finely denticulate proxi- 

 mally and more coarsely distally; the outer margin of the endopodite is 

 similarly armed but the inner margin is proximally smooth. Uropods II 

 are shorter than uropods I; the basipodite is distally broadened, its length 

 barely more than its width; the sides of the rami facing each other are 

 denticulate (more coarsely toward the ends) while the opposite sides 

 are denticulate only distally. The endopodite of uropods III is longer 

 than the exopodite, especially in males; the length of the basipodite 

 slightly exceeds its width. Ornamentation of the rami differs in the two 

 sexes: in females the inner margin of the exopodite is coarsely, in males 

 very finely denticulate; the endopodite in males tapers toward the mid- 

 dle in the distal 1/3 has parallel margins, and apically bears a minute 

 seta embedded in a deep notch between two broad denticles; in females 

 the apical seta is barely discernible and situated in a shallow pit. In 

 both sexes the outer margin of the exopodite is denticulate only distally 

 and the inner margin of the endopodite is smooth. The telson is trans- 

 versely oval, almost round, and extends to the middle of the basipodite 

 of uropods III. 



Distribution: Tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific 

 oceans; common in the Mediterranean Sea. Catches are small in number 

 everywhere. 



14. Vibilia longicarpus Behning, 1913 (Fig. 114) 



Behning, 1913: 530; Semenova, 1973: 174. 



Body length up to 12 mm. 



This is a large species of Vibilia, close to V. cultripes. The body is 

 cylindrical, thickset, and has a smooth thick integument. In females the 

 length of the head is slightly less than its height, in males these are equal. 

 The eyes are large, oval, intensely pigmented, and occupy about 1/3 the 

 lateral surface of the head. Antennae I are about the same length as the 

 head and somite I of the pereon; the flagellum is not longer than the head, 

 elongated-oval, more convex from below; the reduced 2nd segment is 

 almost not noticeable. Antennae II of the female are seven-segmented and 



