First record of the rare Furry Lobster Palinurellus wieneckii (De Man, 1881) (Decapoda: Palinuridae) from the Arabian Sea

Abstract

Two female specimens of the Furry Lobster Palinurellus wieneckii (De Man, 1881) with a total length of 118mm and 114mm, respectively, were obtained from the coral reefs off Kavaratti Island, Laccadive Islands, west of India. Only two species are currently recognized in this genus, which were described from a small number of specimens. As P. wieneckii is very rare, the present report from the Lakshadweep Archipelago provides a valuable new distribution point, which is the first record for the Arabian Sea. Illustrations and photographs are provided for this rare lobster.

Keywords

• distribution
• indian ocean
• lakshadweep
• laccadive islands
• taxonomy