click for previous page

PALIN Panul 10

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FAMILY: PALINURIDAE FISHING AREA 51 (W. Indian Ocean)

Panulirus polyphagus (Herbst, 1793)

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE : fasciatus (Fabricius, 1798)

VERNACULAR NAMES:

FAO : En - Mud spiny Fr - Langouste de vase Sp - Langosta fanguera NATIONAL:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS :

Carapace rounded, cove- red with numerous spines and tubercles of different sizes. Flagella of antennules longer than antennular peduncle, ros- trum, absent; bases of anten- nae separated by a broad antennular plate bearing a single pair of principal spines; antennules very long, about 1½ times the total body length; abdominal segments without transverse grooves. Legs: 1 to 4 without pincers. Colour: dull greenish, abdomi- nal segments each with a distinct transverse band of white (not black -edged) across posterior margin. Antennules broad-banded; legs irre- gularly blotched creamy white.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

No other has such long antennules nor the conspicuous plain white crossbands near hind mar- gins of abdominal segments. Addi- tional distinguishing characters of other Panulirus species are the fol- lowing: : abdominal segments with a scalloped anterior margin on transverse groove; antennular plate with 4 spines.

P. longipes: abdominal segments with a distinct transverse groove, upper surface with many medium-sized P. homarus P. longipes spots; antennular plate with an anterior pair of large spines and additional spinules; legs with white spots at articula- tions connected by yellow lines. P. ornatus: abdominal segments without a white band along posterior margin, but with a broad dark band across middle and 2 white spots on either side; antennular plate with 2 pairs of large spines; legs with very distinct P. penicillatus blotches. P. ornatus P. penicillatus: abdominal segments with distinct transverse grooves and numerous, very small, white spots, but without a pale band along posterior margin; antennular plate with 4 spines joined at their bases; legs striped. P. versicolor: abdominal segments with a white band along posterior margin, flanked at either side by a dark band; antennular plate with 4 large spines; legs P. versicolor P. polyphagus striped; carapace with a characteristic pattern of dark interrupter) antennular plate blue areas and white lines; bases of antennae pink (dorsolateral view) complete All other genera of Palinuridae in the area: the antennular flagella shorter than the distal segment. of the antennular peduncle.

SIZE:

Maximum: body length about 37 cm: average body length 20 to 25 cm. P. homarus P. longipes GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR: P. ornatus Within the area, found along the coasts of Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Outside the area, from India east through the Bay of Bengal to Malaysia and Singapore, north through the Gulf of Thailand to Viet Nam, the Philippines and Indonesia; also in northwest Australia and the Gulf of Papua. P. penicillatus P. versicolor Found on mud bottoms, often in turbid water near the mouths of P. poliphagus rivers. It has been reported from depths between 3 and 90 m. but is abdomen usually found in less than 40 m. Due to a mix-up of names, previous reports on the species from Mauritius and Polynesia need confirmation and should be treated with utmost reserve. PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS:

Fished for throughout its range. It was estimated that both in Bombay and at the west coast. of Thailand P. polyphagus accounted for more than 90% of the commercial lobster landings. Also on the east coast of India and in the Gulf of Thailand the species is commercially very valuable. CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION:

Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Taken almost exclusively by trawling; sometimes obtained in setnets and only very rarely enters traps; in some areas taken by hoopnets or dropnets.

Sold fresh and frozen.

PALIN Panul 11

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FAMILY: PALINURIDAE FISHING AREA 51 (W. Indian Ocean)

Panulirus versicolor (Latreille, 1804)

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: None

VERNACULAR NAMES:

FAO: En - Painted spiny lobster Fr - Langouste barriolée Sp - Langosta colorete

NATIONAL:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS :

Carapace rounded, covered with numerous spines of varying size. Flagella of antennules lon- ger than, antennular peduncle, ros- trun; absent; bases of antennae separated by a broad antennular plate bearing 2 pairs of unequal and separated principal spines. Abdominal segments without tran- sverse grooves. Legs 1 to 4 with- out pincers.

Colour: green-blue with a distinctive pattern of blue-black patches and white lines on cara- pace; a transverse band of white, bordered by 2 black lines, across each abdominal segment; legs and antennules longitudinally striped; bases of antennae bright pink not extending on to antennular plate.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA: The bright colour pattern of this species clearly separates it from all other . Addi- tional distinguishing characters of other Panulirus species are the following: Panulirus homarus: abdominal segments with a transverse groove, the anterior margin of which is scal- loped; legs not striped, but with indistinct irregular spots.

P. longipes: abdominal segments with a transverse groove, dorsal surface with medium-sized spots; antennular P. homarus P. longipes plate with a single pair of large spines; legs with spots and stripes. P. ornatus: abdominal segments with a broad brownish band across middle and 2 light spots on either side, no transverse stripe along posterior margin; cara- pace with vermicular coloration on and around bases of frontal horns, but no pattern of dark blue patches sepa- rated by white lines; legs spotted. P. ornatus P. penicillatus

P. penicillatus: abdominal segments with a deep transverse groove; antennular plate with 4 large spines joined at their bases. P. polyphagus: a white band along posterior margin, of abdominal segments, not flanked by dark blue lines; antennular plate with a single part of spines; legs indis- P. polyphagus P. versicolor tinctly blotched and with short stripes. antennular plate All other genera of Palinuridae in the interrupted (dorsolateral view) area: antennular flagella shorter that distal complete segment of antennular peduncle. SIZE:

Maximum: body length to 40 cm; are rage body length around 30 cm.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR: P. homarus P. longipes Entire Red Sea (from Sinai Peninsula P. ornatus south), the Gulf of Aden, east coast of Africa south to Natal (South Africa), Madagascar, Sey- chelles, La Réunion, and coasts of Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Outside the area, in the Eastern Indian Ocean and the Western Central Pacific, southern Japan, Micronesia, Samoa and northwest and northeast Australia. P. penicillatus The species is found in shallow water (0 to 15 m) in coral reef areas, P. polyphagus often or, seaward edges of reef plateaux, where the water is usually clear P. versicolor and strongly flowing: also in surf areas. The species hides in daytime in more or less deep caverns and cavities in the rocks. Nocturnal and gregarious.

PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS: Taken and eaten wherever it occurs. Although it has a wide distributional range it is nowhere very abundant.

CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION:

Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Taken by hand or speared (especially at night, when the come out of hiding); it does not enter traps.

Not often seen in markets.

PALIN Puer 1

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FAMILY: PALINURIDAE FISHING AREA 51 (W. Indian Ocean)

Puerulus sewelli Ramadan, 1938

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: None

VERNACULAR NAMES:

FAO : En - Whip lobster Fr - Langouste fouet Sp - Langosta de fusta NATIONAL:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS:

Carapace angular, with a median arid 2 lateral tuberculate longitudinal ridges behind the transverse cervical groove, and 3 pairs of ridges in front (the first pair submedian, converging ante- riorly and posteriorly; the second origi- nating behind the frontal horns and the third behind the antennal bases); median postcervical ridge with 8 small teeth (5 postcervical followed by 3 intestinal; frontal horns compressed and sharply pointed, with a single, small, sharp tooth on basal part of anterior margin; surface of carapace covered with scattered gra- nules, and larger tubercles or teeth on the ridges. Antennules slightly over reaching antennal peduncle, with 2 short flagella, which are about as long as dis- tal segment of antennular peduncle; antennular plate present, without spines, forming stridulating organs with the antennal peduncle; basal part of anten- nal peduncle with a large, rounded, ciliated lobe on inner margin. Tail powerful, segments 1 to 3 with a low, tuberculate median longitudinal ridge, 6th segment with 2 submedian, tubercu- late ridges. Surface of abdominal seg- cervical groove merits with some sculpturation, and with at most 2 transverse grooves; pleura ending in 1 or 2 sharp teeth. Legs 1 to 4 3 pairs of without pincers. precervical 3 postcervical ridges ridges

frontal horn carapace dorsal view DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

Puerulus angulatus (off Mozambique and Natal, at 280 to 320 m depth, on soft mud with some sand): median keel of carapace with 5 teeth (3 postcervical, 2 intestinal); body spines distinct and sharp; 3 frontal horns spines behind supraorbital spine; antennal flagella banded red and white. P. carinatus (off Mozambique and Natal, some substrate and depth as P. angulatus): median keel of carapace with 5 to 7 teeth (3 postcervical, 2 to 4 intestinal); fifth pair of legs of male with chelae; antennal flagella plain red.

Linuparus somniosus: abdomen with 2 large, often spinous median tubercles on each of segments 2 to 5; pleura of segments 2 and 3 with 3 lateral teeth; the 2 orbital horns form together a wide anterior part of carapace median process between the eyes. No antennular plate or stridulating Linuparus organ. None of the other lobster species of this family have the 6 precervical and 3 postcervical ridges on the carapace typical of Puerulus.

SIZE:

Maximum: total body length about 20 cm; maximum carapace length about 8 cm; average total body length about 15 cm.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR:

Recorded from off Somalia, the Gulf of Aden, Pakistan, south- west India and the Gulf of Mannar. Known from depths between 180 and 1 300 m, but most commonly found from 180 to 300 m, on hard bottoms of coarse sand, mud or shells.

PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS:

From 1974 to 1977 the species was commercially fished for off the east coast of Somalia by a Soviet-Somali joint venture fishing company, which was dissolved in 1977 (Venema, 1978, IOFC/DEV/78/432:110). In the Gulf of Aden, in experimental trawling, average catches of 10 to 129 kg/h were made and the maximum sustainable yield was estimated to be about 200 tons annually (Druzhinin, 1973, FI:SF/DP 9/12; PDY 64/501/7:11,34,40). Rich grounds are also found off southwest India, where the lobster is potentially commercial and where catches of 180 kg/h were made. The annual sustainable yield in the southwest Indian area is estimated at 6 700 tons. The best catches were made in depths between about 180 and 300 m. The distribution of the whip lobster seems to be spotty within some areas.

CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION: Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Taken by deep-sea trawls.

The animals are beheaded, the tails are deep-frozen either shell-on (after removal of telson, pleopods and spines and cleaning in hypochloride) or the shell is removed and the meat washed, packed and deep-frozen (Oommen & Philip, 1974, Indian Journ.Fisher., 21(2): 369-85).

click for next page