FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Scyllaridae 1039
Scyllarides squammosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / None.
FAO names: En - Blunt slipper lobster;
Fr - Cigale grenue; Sp - Cigarra ñato.
Diagnostic characters: Body vaulted,
pubescent and densely covered with
rounded tubercles. Eyes small and
subspherical. Carapace rectangular, with
anterior half about as wide as posterior
half; cervical groove shallow and
constricted at middle; pregastric tooth
slightly elevated, gastric tooth low and
cardiac tooth almost levelled. Antennae
broad, flattened and plate-like, with distal
margin finely crenate. All legs without
pincers and similar in size. Abdomen
uniformly granulate and not particularly
sculptured; dorsal midline of second to
fourth segments weakly to moderately
ridged and progressively higher
posteriorly; pleura directed downwards,
with posterior margin of second pleuron
somewhat convex. Posterior half of tail fan
soft and flexible. Colour: body red-brown
with depressed areas and ventral surfaces
rather pale yellowish. Eyes black-brown.
Margins of carapace orange-red; antennae
yellowish with orange-red margins;
antennules bright yellow with purplish
flagella. Legs bright yellow with regions near
joints distinctly purplish. First abdominal
segment with 3 distinct red spots, the
central one much larger and anteriorly
fused with lateral spots. Soft part of tail fan
light brown with red-brown dots.
Size: Maximum body length 40 cm,
commonly to about 20 cm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Nocturnal; inhabits coral and rocky reefs to a depth of about 80 m, mostly
between 20 and 50 m. A common bycatch of fisheries for spiny lobsters and taken by hand during day and
night diving, wire traps and tangle nets, but apparently nowhere abundant in the Western Central Pacific.
Like other species of the genus, it is often considered as a delicacy and sold in local markets (fresh or live)
at slightly lower prices than spiny lobsters.
Distribution: Indo-West
Pacific from the eastern coast
of Africa to Japan, Australia,
New Caledonia, and Hawaii.