Chace, 1939
Diagnosis:
A medium-sized lobster. Body cylindrical. Carapace granular, with a well developed median rostrum armed with lateral teeth, but none on dorsal mid-line, no ventral teeth, and without longitudinal ridges behind the cervical groove. Without a pair of spines dorsally on carapace behind the cervical groove. Eyes well developed and pigmented. Antennae long and whip-like. Antennal scale reaching to the base of the ultimate segment of the antennal peduncle. Spine on antennal peduncle near base of anntennal scale. Tail powerful with a well developed tail fan, not conspicuously granulate. Abdominal somites with distinct longitudinal median carina. First 3 pairs of legs ending in true chelae. First pair long and stout with large, flattened, naked fingers. Second pereiopod with fingers less than 1/3 as long as palm. Third pereiopod with the fingers about 1/3 of the length of the palm.
Type:
Type locality: "Nicholas Channel south of Cay Sal Bank, Lat. 23°21 'N, Long. 79°58"W, 300-315 fathoms [ = 550-576 m]". Holotype female in MCZ.
Geographical Distribution:
Western Atlantic: off Bahama Islands and Dominica; Caribbean Sea near Jamaica and Colombia.
Habitat and Biology:
Depth range between 434 and 591 m.
Size:
Maximum total body length (males) about 30 cm. Carapace length 5-14 cm (males), 4-5 cm (females).
Interest to Fisheries:
The large size, that the species may attain, makes it of potential interest to fisheries. Its apparent scarcity and the fact that it inhabits great depths, however, are important obstacles.