Arctides guineensis
Encyclopedia
Arctides guineensis is a species
of slipper lobster
which lives in the Bermuda Triangle
. It is known in Bermuda
as the small Spanish lobster, a name which is also favoured by the FAO
.
length of 4 centimetre.
in 1799, making it one of the first slipper lobsters to be described, and only the second from the Western Atlantic (after Scyllarides aequinoctialis
in 1793). The Hawaii
an species Arctides regalis was previously considered to belong to the same species as A. guineensis, but the two differ in the number and placement of the spines on the carapace
. In the original description of the species, Lorenz Spengler
gave the type locality as "", probably meaning Ghana
. However, A. guineensis is not known to have ever occurred near Africa
, and this locality is probably an error. The species was also described by Pierre André Latreille
in 1818 under the name Scyllarus sculptus, citing a type locality of "" (Mediterranean Sea
), which is also unlikely.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of slipper lobster
Slipper lobster
Slipper lobsters are a family of decapod crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward...
which lives in the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
. It is known in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
as the small Spanish lobster, a name which is also favoured by the FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
.
Description
Arctides guineensis reaches a maximum length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in), or a carapaceCarapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
length of 4 centimetre.
Taxonomy
A. guineensis was describedAlpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
in 1799, making it one of the first slipper lobsters to be described, and only the second from the Western Atlantic (after Scyllarides aequinoctialis
Scyllarides aequinoctialis
Scyllarides aequinoctialis is a species of slipper lobster that lives in the western Atlantic Ocean from South Carolina to São Paulo State, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Bermuda. It grows up to long, with a carapace long. S...
in 1793). The Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an species Arctides regalis was previously considered to belong to the same species as A. guineensis, but the two differ in the number and placement of the spines on the carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
. In the original description of the species, Lorenz Spengler
Lorenz Spengler
Lorenz Spengler was a Swiss-born Danish turner and naturalist.He arrived at Copenhagen in 1743. He was a tutor to Christian VI of Denmark and later Frederick V of Denmark in the art of turning. From 1771 he was head of the Royal Art Chamber , a position he held until his death in...
gave the type locality as "", probably meaning Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. However, A. guineensis is not known to have ever occurred near Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and this locality is probably an error. The species was also described by Pierre André Latreille
Pierre André Latreille
Pierre André Latreille was a French zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis...
in 1818 under the name Scyllarus sculptus, citing a type locality of "" (Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
), which is also unlikely.