FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Palinuridae 1009
3a. Carapace subcylindrical, without median keel (Fig. 3); antennule with flagellum longer
than peduncle (Fig. 4a); abdominal pleura ending in 1 strong tooth only (Fig. 5a) . . . . . Panulirus
3b. Carapace box-like, with a median keel; antennule with flagellum much shorter than
peduncle (Fig. 4b); abdominal pleura ending in 2 or more strong teeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . .→ 4
Fig. 3 Panulirus
no median
keel
peduncle
flagellum
flagellum
peduncle
a) Panulirus b) other genera
Fig. 4 antennule of spiny lobsters
4a. Frontal horns small and fused at the middle of anterior carapace (Fig. 6a); abdominal
pleura ending in short teeth (Fig. 5b); antennae thick, inflexible and shorter than body
length (Fig. 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linuparus
4b. Frontal horns large and widely separated (Fig. 6b); abdominal pleura ending in 2 long
teeth (Fig. 5c); antennae slender and much longer than body length (Fig. 8) . . . . . . . Puerulus
pleura ending in 1
strong tooth
pleura ending in 2 or
more short teeth
a) Panulirus b) Linuparus
pleura ending in
c) Puerulus 2 long teeth
Fig. 5 abdomen (lateral view)
antennal
flagellum
frontal horns
small, fused
frontal horns large,
widely separated
a) Linuparus b) Puerulus
Fig. 6 anterior part of carapace (dorsal view)
Fig. 7 Linuparus Fig. 8 Puerulus