47 



ASTACURA. 



Tribe NEPHROPSIDEA. 

 Family NEPHROPSIDAE. 



There are three genera occurring in Irish waters : — 



A. Eyes small, without pigment; no antennal 



scale, . . . . . . . . . . Nephropsis, 



B. Eyes large, well pigmented ; antennal scale 

 present. — 



1. Eyes very large, reniform, broader than 



stalks ; antenna! scale foliaceous, . . Nephrops, 



2. Eyes large, but not broader than stalks ; 



antennal scale spine-like, . . . . Homarus, 



Genus Nephrops, Leach. 



Nephrops norvegicus, Linne. 



Nephrops norvegicus, Bell, 1853. 

 Nephrops norvegicus, Heller, 1863. 

 Nephrops norvegicus, Ortmann, 1892. 

 Nephrops norvegicus, Hansen, 1908. 



This species, the Norway Lobster, or " Dublin Pra^\Ti," is so 

 well known that it is quite unnecessary to give a description of 

 its characters here. 



Size. — The largest specimen taken by the Helga is a male 

 from the west coast ; it measures 240 m.m. from the tip of the 

 rostrum to the end of the telson; carapace, 108 mm.; abdomen, 

 132 mm. ; rostrum, 34 mm. ; breadth of carapace, 44 mm. 

 This individual was taken along with six others in the great 

 depth of 337 fathoms. 



The average length of adults is about 165-180 mm. for 

 males, and 120-140 for females. 



General Distribution. — The most northerly locality for the 

 species is off the south coast of Iceland (Hansen), where it is 

 so plentiful that it forms the chief food of the cod. It occurs 

 on all the Scandinavian coasst (Sars, Meinert, etc.), on the 

 coasts of Belgium and France (Van Beneden, Bonnier, CauUery), 

 in the Mediterranean and Adriatic (Heller, Senna), and on the 

 coast of Morocco (Milne Edwards). It is also present in great 

 numbers on the coasts of England and Scotland, but it is not 

 known to occur in the Hebrides, Shetlands or Faeroes (Hansen). 



Irish Distribution. — It is found all round the Irish coasts, but 

 it is specially plentiful in the Irish Sea between the Isle of Man 

 and the coasts of Louth and Down. In this region several 

 hundred specimens are frequently taken in one haul. 



