112 OKHAMANDAL MARINE ZOOLOGY REPORT 



(2) That these variations are not usually sexual variations, nor merely due to 



differences of age. 



(3) That the female is generally slightly broader, and of a darker colour — 



particularly in spirit specimens — than the male. 



(4) That the occurrence of spines is quite irregular, and not to be relied upon for 



purposes of identification. 



Porcellana gaekwari, n. sp.— Plate, figs. i-3. 



Carapace slightly longer than broad, convex from side to side, and from before 

 backwards, and marked by discontinuous, transverse striae. Lateral margins armed 

 with a series of spines. There is a spine immediately posterior to the orbit, and one 

 situated over each antennal peduncle. A little further back is a rounded lobe, bearing 

 a few minute teeth, and posterior to this are three more spines. 



The rostrum is short and deflexed, with a definite mesial furrow. It is made up of 

 three lobes. The median lobe is much broader, and slightly longer than the two 

 lateral ones. Its free edge is in the form of an exceedingly shallow V, and bears about 

 four to six teeth. The lateral lobes are triangular, with their inner face dentate and 

 their external edge entire. 



Antennal peduncle long, cylindrical and three-jointed. First and third joints as 

 broad as long. Middle joint one and a half times longer than broad. Antennal 

 filament nude. 



Eye-peduncle short, but extending beyond the edge of the carapace during life. 

 In the living condition the eyes are colourless, but pigment develops after death. 



Chelipedes twice as long as the carapace in adult specimens, their dorsal surfaces 

 marked by transverse striae, equal or unequal, the left or the right being very slightly 

 the larger. Internal face of the merus minutely notched, its distal angle being 

 produced into a lobe. Carpus of female slightly longer than broad, with a few teeth 

 on its internal face, entire in the male, and sinuous. 



Propodite long, and broadened distally, the posterior edge being smooth along 

 two-thirds of its length, but denticulate distally. Movable finger curved, with a 

 large tooth near its origin, and serrate along the rest of its inner border. The 

 three following pairs of thoracic feet are approximately two-thirds the length of the 

 chelipedes, and have the merus rather large, the carpus short, and as broad as long. 

 Propodus three and a half times as long as broad and hairy on its anterior surface. 



Dactyli short, curved, and multiunguiculate. 



Length of carapace, 8 mm. ; breadth, 7 mm. ; length of chelipede, 17 mm. ; 

 length of first thoracic leg, 10 mm. 



Natural colour : ground colour milky white. Carapace with a few symmetrical 

 blotches of light brown. Rostrum light purple. Chelipedes similar to carapace, 

 but movable finger light purple. Walking legs light purple. 



