(A. Milne Edwards, 1881)
Diagnosis:
A rather large lobster. Body cylindrical, completely covered with small spines and sharp tubercles; carapace with a well developed median rostrum. Eyes very small, lacking pigment; antennae long and whip-like; antennal scales well developed. Tail powerful, with a well developed tail fan. First three pairs of pereiopods ending in true chelae. The first pair equal, very slender, longer than the body, covered with sharp spinules and ending in elongate and slender fingers with long teeth on cutting edges, but without hairs. Fingers of first cheliped about as long as palm. Second pair of pereiopods very much longer than third pair.
Type:
Type locality: "Blake" Station 264, off Grenada, West Indies, 12°03'15"N 61°48'30"W, 761 m deep, bottom grey ooze. Holotype in MCZ.
Geographical Distribution:
Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Straits of Florida.
Habitat and Biology:
A deep-sea species from 293 to 878 m depth (mostly between 550 and 825 m). Lives on soft mud bottoms in burrows.
Size:
Maximum total length 40 cm; carapace length 2 to 17 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
Not actually fished for at present. Exploratory deep-sea trawling showed the species to be present in quantities that might be of commercial interest; also interesting because of its relatively large size.