Trivia about the Deep-Sea Lobsters of the Philippines

Chelarctus aureus (Holthuis, 1963) – LOCUST LOBSTER
This lobster is found at depthi ranglng from 100 meters to 152 meters in Tayabas Bay and off Lubang Island in the Philippines, as well as in Fiji, Indonesia and South China Sea (Holthuis 2000).

Polvcheles coccifer — BLIND LOBSTER
This lobster has very tiny eyes and no pigment. The head is shaped like a box, no rostrum, and with thread-like antennae. Its tail fan is hard and its legs has pincers. This sF;ciei is found in verf deep marine waters. it has 6 – 8 lateral carapace spines in the anterior division.

Metanephrops australiensis (Brucemo f966) – NORTH WEST REEF LOBSTER
This is aiso known in Australiaas Australian scampi. This lobster has large black eyes with spines on the body. Its abdomen has no distinct longitudinal firrrows. Its two main claws are equal in size. lndo-west Pacific region. Depth range from 418 to 500 m, on a bottom of Globigerira ooze. Total body length to 18 cm., carapace length 4 to 7 cm., average 5 cm.

Remiarctus bertholdii (Paulson, 1875) – TWO SPOT LOCUST LOBSTER
This lobster has two large spots on the fust abdominal segment, one on each side slightly above the base of the swim merets. The head has a low and obscure teeth in the meiian’line. The exposed parts of the-abdoininal segments has ai arborescent patten of narrow grooves and has no carina in the middle of the abdomen. They are found in a soft substrate of mud, sandy-mud, sand or coralline algae at depths between 40 and 75 meters. It can reach the size of 4.2 cm. in males,-they can also be found in South China Sea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Gulf of Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia.

Metanephrops neptunus (Bruce, 1965) – NEPTTII\E REEF LOBSTER
This lobster has the abdomen with 2 transverse grooves, the large pincer has the finger distinctly longer than the palm. Eyes large and black, body with spines Depth range from 300 to 800 m. Bottom temperature 5C I1.9C. Substrate unknown. Size: Total body length 18 to 25 cm.

Ibacus ciliatus (Von Siebold, 1824) – FAI\ LOBSTER
This lobster has extremely flattened body with the posterior margins of the head cut into 10 to 12 large teeth. It has broad and flattened antennae. Surface of the body someivhat smooth bui with smali pits. Its legs [as the same sizes and not pincered. Iican be found and caught in soft sand, mad, or clay at depths ranging from 48 meters to 314 meters by trawling. It is distributed in the west Pacific, from Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and coast of China.

Petrarctus brevicornis – BLUE-BACK LOCUST LOBSTER.
This lobster has a dark blue spot in the median line of the first abdominal segment. There are two distinct teeth in the median line before the cervical groove of the head. The headregion between the postrostral and branchial carinnae is smooth. The abdomen has distinct median carina and exposed frarts of the segments has no arbdrescent pattem brit has a wide transverse groove over the middle. There is a dorsal fri-nge of hair in the dactyli bf the 3 to 5 walking legs. It can reach the size of 4 to 5.5 cm in body length. This lobster inhabits sand or mud at depths of 60 to 150 meters. Aside from Philippines, if is also known to occur in East China Sea, Taiwan and Japan.

Puerulus angulatus (Bate, 1888) – BANDED WIIIP LOBSTER
This lobster h-as a whip- like ante-nnae. The head has no postoribital spine but there are 3 or more teeth between the frontal horns and cervical gro_ove. The median keel of tlie head has 3 post – cervical and 2-intestinal teeth. The tubercles on the head are distilct and not, obscured by pubescence. Eyes are small and longer than wide. This- species can be found in depths ranging from274 meters to 536 meters in soft muddy or sandy substrate.

 

The Stamps, Souvenir Sheets and Official First Day Covers will be available stating Sept. 30, 2009 at the Postage and Philatelic Department, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio, 1000 Manila and all Regional Offices of the Philippine Postal Corporation.

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