Jasus caverum (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palinuridae) from the eastern South Pacific Ocean

Study Extent

Non-emergent seamounts on the Foundation seamount chain

Sampling

About 12 000 specimens of this new species were taken in commercial baited traps. Traps were set on a single seamount with two peaks at 140 m depth with a 320 m deep trough between. The tops of the seamount were fished down to 300 m. Lobsters were taken from 140 to 180 m, mostly at 140 to 150 m. Males predominated in the catches; few females, ovigerous or otherwise, were taken and no ovigerous females were retained. Southern Seafoods Ltd, owners of the FV David Baker, supplied us with 14 males and the abdomens of 27 females and 18 males, all frozen, and facilitated our examination of a further 177 abdomens before the abdomens were packed for sale.

Method steps

1. Measurements taken include carapace length (CL), from the front of the antennal platform (where the basal segments of the antennal peduncles meet in the midline) to the posterior median margin of the carapace; abdomen length (AL), from the anterior, median margin of the first abdominal tergum to the posterior median margin of the telson with the abdomen held straight on a flat surface

Foundation Seamount chain