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Art. XLIV.—Description of a new Species of Palinurus.
Plate XI.
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 21st February, 1880.]
The specimen described in this paper was obtained by Mr. J. Buchanan, F.L.S., in December, 1877, at Whaingaroa, a small harbour on the West Coast of the North Island. It was placed in the Colonial Museum, and until lately bore the label “Palinurus hugelii var. tumidus,” in the handwriting of Dr. Hector, by whom it has since been entrusted to me for description.
In general appearance, this fine species approaches very near P. hugelii, from the Indian Ocean, and might at first be mistaken for it; I have, however, carefully compared our specimen with Dr. Heller's description of P. hugelii,* and it appears to me to possess characters sufficiently distinct to justify its elevation to the rank of a species.
I therefore propose to retain Dr. Hector's MS. name, and designate the new species “Palinurus tumidus,” although perhaps, giganteus, would be quite as appropriate, the total length from the tip of the beak to the end of the telson being 24 inches, the carapace very much swollen and measuring 21 1/2 inches in circumference.
Dr. Hector informs me that this is the common crawfish at the Sydney market, yet, strange to say, although so large and so common, it does not appear to have been described, the only attempt made to identify it being found in the Sydney Museum, where a specimen bears the label “Palinurus hugelii?.”
[Footnote] * See Reise der Osterreichischen Fregatte Novara, Crustaceen, p. 96, tab. VIII.
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Palinurus tumidus, sp. nov.
Carapace beaked, much swollen, armed with very blunt spines, or rather spine-knobs, some directed forward, others, again, standing nearly vertical; a double row of small, stout, blunt spines, standing nearly vertical, runs along the posterior edge of the carapace. Beak stout, round, and curved upwards. Supra-orbital spines stout, compressed, turned upwards. Antennæ spines stout, somewhat triangular in shape, and also turned upwards. Superior antennæ less than the total length of the animal, peduncle armed on its upper and outer surface with stout spines. Inferior antennæ smooth, longer than peduncle of superior.
Anterior legs very stout, inferior margin of second joint armed with a row of five or six spines; third joint with a very stout spine at the anterior and also at the posterior extremity, the anterior twice the size of the posterior, also a stout triangular spine on the superior distal extremity; fifth joint with a row of six spines on the superior internal angle, the largest and posterior one being directed backwards to meet the anterior spine of the third joint, a row of three small blunt spines on the inferior internal angle. Superior margin of the distal extremity of the third joint of the last four pairs of legs armed with a spine.
Abdomen very coarsely granulated and punctated. Tail, especially the telson, armed with small spines; telson rounded at the extremity.
Anterior margin of each segment of the abdomen produced into a very prominent spine, backed by three or four teeth.
Whole animal destitute of hair, with the exception of the pedipalps, and the inferior surface of the terminal joint of each pair of legs.
Colour, reddish brown, tinged in many places with yellow.
Length, 24 inches.
Distinguished from P. hugelii by its much larger size, by the beak, supra-orbital and antennæ spines being turned upwards, by the telson being less triangular, and rounded instead of scarped.
PLATE XI. represents Palinurus tumidus. a. Dorsal view. b. Inferior surface of anterior leg, showing armature.