Manning, 1969

Diagnosis:
Body entirely covered with evenly placed large pearly tubercles. Eye with pigmented, although small, cornea. Lower margin of rostrum without teeth.Second and third maxillipeds with exopods. Exopod of second maxilliped with a distinct flagellum. Pleura of abdominal somites narrow, hardly if at all overlapping. Pleura of second abdominal somite broadly trapezoid, distal margin obliquely truncate, ending in a blunt posterior tooth. Lateral margin of telson unarmed, but for the posterolateral spine.

Type:
Type locality:
Off Caribbean coast of "Nicaragua, 12°25'N 82°15'W; depth 546-582 m". Holotype in USNM, no. 113741; paratypes in USNM, RMNH.

Geographical Distribution:
Extreme western Caribbean Sea off the coasts of Central America and northern South America, from Belize to Colombia, 16°58' to 9°24'N, 76°31.5' to 87°53'W.

Habitat and Biology:
Deep sea, 511 to 728 m; on mud bottom.

Size:
Total length 15.6 to 17 cm, carapace length 5 to 6 cm.

Interest to Fisheries:
So far none, but the size of the specimens might make the exploitation profitable if good fishing grounds are found.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Crustacea
Order Decapoda
Suborder Macrura Reptantia
Superfamily Nephropoidea
Family Nephropidae
Subfamily Thymopinae
Genus Nephropides
Species Nephropides caribaeus

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Nephropides caribaeus Manning, 1969

Scientific synonyms and common names

Nephropides caribaeus Manning, 1969

Synonyms:
Nephropides caribaeus Manning, 1969, Crustaceana, 17: 304, text-fig. 1 pl. 1.

FAO Names:
Mitten lobsterette [English]

Holthuis, L.B., 1974. The lobsters of the superfamily Nephropidea of the Atlantic Ocean (Crustacea: Decapoda). Biological results of the University of Miami deep-sea expeditions. 106. Bulletin marine Science University Miami, 24: 723-884, figs 1-35.

Manning, R.B., 1969. A new genus and species of lobster (Decapoda, Nephropidae) from the Caribbean Sea. Crustaceana, 17:303-309, text fig.1, pl.1

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