(Lund, 1793)

Diagnosis:
Grooves on the carapace very inconspicuous. Tubercles of carapace and abdomen low, hairs inconspicuous. Pregastric and gastric teeth hardly if at all set off from the surface of the carapace. Cervical incision of the lateral margin hardly at all indicated. Carpus of first pereiopod with a large swollen hump in the upper basal part; a very shallow groove extends over this hump. Outline of the posterior margin of the pleura of the second abdominal somite concave in the middle through the presence of a strong tooth. No indication at all of a median carina on the abdominal somites. Second abdominal sternite of male evenly denticulate, without a deeper median incision. First abdominal somite dorsally in the middle with a well defined horseshoe-shaped spot, consisting of two rounded submedian spots, which are connected anteriorly.

Type:
Type locality of S. aequinoctialis: "seldom seen in Jamaica, though a native of those seas" (Browne, 1756:424). The male specimen figured by Browne is chosen as the lectotype of Lund's species; its present whereabouts are unknown.
Type locality of Parribacus gerstaeckeri: "Atlantischer Ocean" Type material in ZMH.

GeographicalDistribution:
Western Atlantic, from S. Carolina (USA) and Bermuda via the West Indies to S. Brazil (São Paulo State), including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Habitat and Biology:
Depth range from 0.6 to 180 m, usually between 0.6 and 64 m; on a substrate of sand or rocks, often on outer reefs. The animals are sluggish and nocturnal and feed on (dead) animals, detritus, etc. They bury themselves in the sand.

Size:
Maximum total body length over 30 cm; carapace length up to about 12 cm

Interest to Fisheries:
The species is used as food, but is not of great economic importance; it is eaten mostly by the poorer people. Verrill (1912: 23) remarked that it "is not commonly sold in the markets" at Bermuda, and "is rarely used as food there" Morice (1958: 86) remarked that with Panulirus argus this species is the most common lobster in the market of Fort-de-France, Martinique. In Belize, the species "though occasionally caught, is never prepared for export and therefore is of no significance in the fishery" (Allsopp, 1968). Almost throughout its range S. aequinoctialis is eaten, but evidently not very highly esteemed. Its meat also serves as bait in lobsterpots. The animals are mostly taken in traps set for other species, but also with fixed gill nets and seines. It is sold fresh.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Crustacea
Order Decapoda
Suborder Macrura Reptantia
Superfamily Palinuroidea
Family Scyllaridae
Subfamily Arctidinae
Genus Scyllarides
Species Scyllarides aequinoctialis

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Scyllarides aequinoctialis (Lund, 1793)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Scyllarides aequinoctialis (Lund, 1793)

Synonyms:
Scyllarus aequinoctialis Lund, 1793, Kongelige Danske Videnskabers Selskab Skrifter, (n.ser.) 2(2): 21. Name placed on Official List of Specific Names in Zoology, in Opinion 293 (published in 1954).
Pseudibacus gerstaeckeri Pfeffer, 1881

FAO Names:
Spanish slipper lobster [English]
Cigale marie-carogne [French]
Cigarra español [Spanish]

Local Names:
BERMUDA: Locust lobster, French lobster, Long-tailed crab, Sea crayfish, Sea crawfish, Slipper lobster, Stump
BRAZIL: Lagostim, Cigarra, Fradinho, Lagosta sapateira
CUBA: Langosta de arena, Langosta española, Langostina
GRENADA: Lady crab
JAMAICA: Mother lobster, Turtle lobster
MARTINIQUE: Maman homard, Marie-carogne, Mère homard, Savate
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES: Beerkreeft, Schoenkreeft, Zandkreeft (Dutch; Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), Kreef zapatu (Papiamentu; Aruba, Bonaire. Curaçao)
ST. THOMAS: Turtle lobster

Allsopp, W.H.L., 1968. Report to the government of British Honduras (Belize) on investigations into marine fishery management, research and development policy for Spiny Lobster fisheries. Report U.N. Development Program FAO, TA 2481:i-xii,1-86, figs 1-15

Browne, P., 1756. The civil and natural history of) Jamaica: 2pp, i-vii, 1-503, pls 1-49, 2 maps

Fischer, W. (ed.), 1978. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31), vol. 6:pag.var.

Lund, N.T., 1793. Slaegten Scyllarus. Jagttagelser til Insekternes Historie.I. Kongelige Danske Videnskabers Selskab Skrifter, (n.ser.) 2(2): 17-22.

Morice, J. 1958. Langoustes et Scyllares des Petites Antilles. Revue Travaux Institut Pêches maritimes, 22(1):105-114, figs 1-13

Verrill, A.E., 1922. Decapod Crustacea of Bermuda. Part II. Macrura. Transactions Connecticut Academy Arts Sciences, 26:1-179, text figs 1-12, pls 1-48

Williams, A.B., 1986. Lobsters - Identification, world distribution, and U.S. trade. Marine Fisheries Review, 48(2):1-36, figs 1-80

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