540 



encountered with formed embryos in the brood chamber simultaneous with 

 eggs in the ovaries, ready for oviposition. 



3. Rhabdosoma brevicaudatum Stebbing, 1888 (Fig. 233) 



Stebbing, 1888: 1612; Bovallius, 1890: 118 (Xyphocephalus); Gar- 

 bowsky, 1895: 199 (Pseudanurus); Stebbing, 1895: 366; Spandl, 1924: 

 271; Stephensen, 1925a: 205; Page, 1960: 104.—? brachyteles Stebbing, 

 1895: 369. 



Length of females up to 32 mm; sexually mature male not described. 



The rostrum is thin, fragile, and in adult crustaceans equal in length 

 to the rest of the head, pereon, and pleon together. The neck is thin, 

 long, and basally with a pointed ventral projection. 



Pereopods I and II are identical to those in R. whitei; the process of 

 the 5th segment of pereopods I appreciably extends beyond the base of 

 the claw, in pereopods II reaches the middle of the claw but may exceed 

 436 the length of the segment itself; the process of the 6th segment is less 

 developed than in R. whitei and its margins finely and unevenly dentic- 

 ulate. The 2nd segment of pereopods III-IV is narrow; the 4th segment 

 is broadened and, unlike in R. armatum, shorter than the 2nd; the distal 

 segments are narrow with fine spinules posteriorly. Pereopods V-VI are 

 similar to those in R. whitei; the 2nd and 4th segments in pereopods V 

 are approximately equal in length and width; the 2nd segment of pere- 

 opods VI is somewhat longer and much broader than the narrow 4th; 

 the 3rd-6th segments in both pereopods V-VI bear fine spinules along 

 the anterior margin. Pereopods VII are usually unsegmented leaf-shaped 

 appendages but in some individuals have a full complement of segments; 

 in the latter case the total length of the five distal segments is less than 

 the length of the 2nd segment and the claw is deeply curved. 



The pleon is always somewhat longer than the pereon. In the 

 epimeral plates the posterior distal angle is acute and in plates II-III 

 even more stretched, especially in the latter. 



The urosome is long and the lelson relatively short. Urosomite II 

 is 1.5-2 times longer than urosomite I. All the uropods are longer than 

 the telson. The basipodite of uropods I extends beyond the tip of the 

 telson; the rami are free; the exopodite is more than twice longer than 

 the lanceolate endopodite. Uropods II are very thin; the distal end of the 

 basipodite barely extends beyond the base of the telson; the exopodite 

 resembles a small spine; the endopodite is fused with the basipodite 

 and its tip extends beyond the tip of the telson. Uropods III are longer 

 and almost the same length as uropods I; the endopodite is equal in 

 length to the basipodite and fused with it; the exopodite resembles a 

 small spine. The telson of adult crustaceans is 1/6-1/4 the length of the 

 geminate urosomite and in very young individuals is like a round bud. 



