Ramadan, 1938
Diagnosis:
Two teeth between frontal horns and the cervical groove. Postorbital spine absent. Tubercles of carapace usually distinct and not obscured by the pubescense. Median keel of carapace with 5 postcervical and 2 or 3 intestinal teeth. Eyes small, longer than broad. Fifth pereiopod of male not chelate.
Type:
Type locality of P. sewelli: "Gulf of Aden", "Gulf of Manaar and the Arabian Sea", through the lectotype selection by Holthuis (1966: 271) restricted to Gulf of Aden, 13°16'00"N, 46°20'24"E - 13°16'36"N 46°14'00"E 220 m deep, bottom green mud. Lectotype male in BM, no. 1969: 61-64 (in alcohol, condition good); paralectotypes in BM, ZSI, USNM.
Type locality of Phyllamphion santuccii: "dans le sud-est de Périm", Gulf of Aden; depository of type unknown, possibly in MOM, but not yet located there.
Geographical Distribution:
Western Indian Ocean: Somalia, Gulf of Aden, off Pakistan, southwest and south India, Gulf of Mannar.
Habitat and Biology:
Known from depths between 180 and 1300 m, most common between 180 and 300 m; on a substrate of coarse sand, hard mud and shells.
Size:
Maximum total body length about 20 cm, maximum carapace length about 8 cm. Average total length about 15 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
Between 1974 and 1977, the species was commercially fished off the east coast of Somalia. In the Gulf of Aden, experimental trawling was carried out with average catches of 10 to 129 kg/hour. Off S.W. India, rich grounds were found, where the fishery for this species might become commercially rewarding. The annual sustainable yield in that area was estimated at 6700 tons. The operations were carried out by deep-sea trawlers. The lobster tails were sold deep-frozen.