FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Nephropidae 985
Key to the species of Metanephrops occurring in the area
1a. Carapace rather uniformly spinulose
(Fig. 4a); dorsal surface of
uropods covered with spinules . . . . . → 2
1b. Carapace smooth between the
ridges and large spines (Fig. 4b);
uropods unarmed dorsally . . . . . . . . → 4
2a. Abdominal segments each with
2 transverse grooves (Fig. 5a);
large pincer with finger distinctly
longer than palm
(Fig. 6a) . . . . . . Metanephrops neptunus
2b. Abdominal segments each with
surface
uniformly
spinulose
no
spinules
between
large
spines
and
ridges
a) Metanephrops neptunus b) Metanephrops sibogae
Fig. 4 carapace (dorsal view)
1 transverse groove only (Fig. 5b, c); large pincer with finger shorter than palm (Fig. 6b) . . . . . → 3
3a. Abdomen with deep longitudinal furrows (Fig. 5b); large pincer covered with sharp
tubercles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Metanephrops arafurensis
3b. Abdomen without distinct longitudinal furrows (Fig. 5c); large pincer finely granular to
nearly smooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Metanephrops australiensis
a) Metanephrops
neptunus
longitudinal
furrows
2
transverse
grooves
b) Metanephrops
arafurensis
1
transverse
groove
Fig. 5 first 3 abdominal segments (dorsal view)
c) Metanephrops
australiensis
4a. Abdomen with distinct transverse and longitudinal grooves (Fig. 7); large pincers
distinctly ridged (Fig. 8a), with outer border flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 5
4b. Abdomen smooth or with only narrow transverse grooves; large pincer smooth or weakly
ridged (Fig. 8b), with outer border always angular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 6
5a. Elevated parts of abdomen naked and smooth (Fig. 7a) . . . . . . . . Metanephrops andamanicus
5b. Elevated parts of abdomen coarse and pubescent (Fig. 7b) . . . . . . . . Metanephrops velutinus
elevated
parts
naked
and
smooth
longitudinal
grooves pubescent
a) Metanephrops andamanicus b) Metanephrops velutinus
Fig. 7 abdomen (dorsal view)
finger
a) Metanephrops
neptunus
palm
Fig. 6 large pincer
distinctly
ridged
finger
b) Metanephrops
australiensis
weakly
ridged
a) Metanephrops
b) Metanephrops
andamanicus
sibogae
Fig. 8 large pincer
palm