16 CRUSTACEA FROM PORT CURTIS DISTRICT, QUEENSLAND, 



In both chelipeds the carpus has on its upper margin a 

 strong forwarclly directed spine, and its outer surface bears 

 numerous small tubercles and scattered stiff hairs. The larger 

 cheliped (which is sometimes the right and sometimes the left) 

 has the upper part of the outer surface of the palm sparingly 

 tuberculate and tomentose, and is smooth below, while in the 

 smaller cheliped the outer surface is entirely covered with small 

 tubercles and scattered hairs. In neither have the tubercles any 

 definite linear arrangement. The fingers of both hands carry a 

 few strong teeth, but these are more numerous on the smaller of 

 the two. 



The ambulatory legs are long and sparingly clothed with stiff 

 hairs. On the distal half of the upper margin of the merus of 

 the first three pairs there are three sharp forwardly directed 

 spinules. The fourth pair are unarmed. 



In colour our species has in adult specimens the anterior part 

 of the carapace mottled with red on a cream ground, (he latter 

 extending to the posterior margin. The chelipeds are red and 

 the ambulatory legs banded with red and cream. 



The abdomen of both sexes has all the seven joints free. 



Length of carapace 9mm. 



Breadth of carapace 11 ,, 



Length of second ambulatory leg 19 ,, 



It has been suggested by Whitelegge* that it might be useful, 

 for the purpose of splitting up this much overloaded genus, to 

 observe whether the terminal segment of the abdomen extends 

 beyond the articular nodules of the first joint of the chelipeds. 

 In our specimens it does so. 



We have a good series of specimens taken amongst coral blocks 

 on the outer reef at Mast Head Island. 



This species is most nearly allied to P. cursor A. M. Edw., from 

 which it is distinguished by the presence of a strong spine on the 

 carpus of the chelipeds, by the three spinules on the merus of the 



* Mem. Aust. Mus. iii. 1897, p. 135. 



