Holthuis 1991
Two large median teeth before cervical groove. Carapace behind cervical groove without a median ridge, but with two submedian ridges, each bearing a row of large, sharply pointed teeth or spinules. Posterior half of carapace closely set with numerous sharp spinules. Antennular plate hardly, if at all, visible in dorsal view; stridulating organ absent. Abdominal pleura ending in a sharp anterior tooth and a broad, distinctly denticulate posterior lobe. Upper surface of the abdominal somites without scalloped sculpturation.
Type species: Palinurus verreauxi H. Milne Edwards, 1851. Gender masculine.
This new subgenus of the genus Jasus differs from the nominotypical subgenus by the absence of any sculpturation on the abdomen: the characteristic scalloped pattern found in all species of Jasus s.s. is completely lacking here. Furthermore, the rostrum of Sagmariasus is as large and strong as the frontal horns and is of the same shape, forming with the frontal horns a tridentate plate. In Jasus s.s. the rostrum is a small spine, much smaller than the frontal horns and placed on a much lower level. In Sagmariasus the antennulae are much less slender than in Jasus s.s.
The new subgenus includes a single species, Jasus (Sagmariasus) verreauxi (H. Milne Edwards., 1851), which is its type.
Derivatio nominis: the greek word Sagmarion, meaning packhorse, is combined here with Jasus. The name alludes to the vernacular name "Packhorse crayfish" given in New Zealand to large specimens of the type species. The derivation of the generic name Jasus has not been given by its author, but it may refer to Jasus, the latin name of a locality in Asia Minor west of the town of Milas in south west Turkey (37°19'N 27°48'E)