“Leonymphon spinosum
(Plate VII., fig. 2)
Specific characters: --
Body stoutly built, with the transverse ridges not very strongly developed, but with a very prominent spur in the mid-dorsal line. The lateral processes are rather widely separated, and bear distally two stout recurved spurs; smaller ones exist on the first coxae.
Proboscis short, not half the length of the trunk.
Palps 9-jointed; of the five terminals the seventh and ninth are a little longer than the others.
Oviger 10-jointed, special spines not denticulate.
The entire animal is heavily built, and covered with fine but short setae. The lateral processes are rather widely separated, the intervals increasing posteriorly, two pairs of processes are directed more or less forward, the other two pairs backwar. Each process bears dorsally at its distal extremity a pair of prominent recurved tubercular processes; these are also distinct, though less prominent, on the first coxae. The body is crossed transversely by three ridges, but these do not extend on to the lateral processes as much as in the allied species. The ridges stand erect, but they are beveled from behind in the middle line so as to form an acute point of some considerable elevation, and this gives them the appearance of being arched forward.
The Cephalon is not very much expanded, and almost fills the interval between the first pair of lateral processes; in front it bears a pair of tubercular processes directed outwards, one at the base of each of the chelifori.
The Ocular tubercle is just behind the centre of the cephalon and is very stout, taller than any of the transverse ridges, and terminates in a cone above four well-developed eyes.
The Abdomen is not separated from the body by an articulation; it is of normal proportions, elongate, ovate, and directed slightly upwards.
The entire body is covered with short, fine setae, but they appear to be deficient between the ridges, and to some extent, on the cephalon. Ventrally the transverse ridges are rounded, and the median spur much less prominent than dorsally; the setae also are deficient. The length of the body is 13 mm., and its extreme width is 8 mm.
The Proboscis is short and stout, being barely 5 mm in length, cylindrical, slightly swollen in the middle, and movably articulated to the body.
The Chelifori are rudimentary, they lie close together above the proboscis and are more than half its length. The scape is half the length of the proboscis, very slightly enlarged distally and clothed with short setae; the chelae are only knobs, also setose, and with but vestiges of the fingers.
The Palps rise laterally below the chelifori and comprise nine joints (fig. 2a). The first joint is short and stout, the proportions of the various joints being: 1.5 : 4 : 1 : 3.5 : 1 : 1 : 1.3 : 1 : 1.5. The entire appendage is covered with fine setae which become numerous on the fourth joint; on the four following joints they form a dense patch covering the whole ventral surface, and extending dorsally in a very small degree on the first of these joints but progressively more and more as the extremity of the appendage is approached. The terminal joint is completely covered, but they are most abundant ventrally.
The Ovigers are ten-jointed and rise ventrally in the angle formed by the cephalon and the first lateral process (fig. 2b). The first six joints form the normal double curve and are all more or less covered with small setae on the outer part of the curvatures. The proportions of the various joints are: 1.5 : 3.25 : 2 : 3 : 3 : 2 : 2 : 2 : 1.5 : 2. The last four joints are provided with a few large spinous setae forming, on three of the joints, a small irregular group ventrally near the distal extremity; on the terminal one, which is much the most slender, they are scattered along its length, one of them taking the place of the terminal claw.
The Legs are not all the same size, the third pair being the longest and the first the shortest, their respective lengths being approximately 30 mm., 35 mm., 39 mm., 37.5 mm. The third leg of the right side has been measured. Of the three coxae the second is longer than either of the other two, the three together attain a length of 8 mm., and the proportions of the other joints are as 9.25 : 9 : 8 : 3.5, the last figure representing the tarsus and propodus together. The entire appendage is densely clothed with rather short but fine setae having no special arrangement, except that on the femur and first tibia they are not so numerous laterally. The tarsus is small, cuplike, densely setose, but with no strong spines. The propodus is slightly curved, densely setose, and with an oblique termination to the joint, but the process from which the large terminal claw and its two moderate-sized auxiliaries arise projects beyond the joint itself. The ventral margin of the propodus is spinose but varies greatly. In the best instance there is a series of eight spines, the first four are small and then they increase in size rapidly to the last, which is very large. These occupy the proximal half of the joint. Then follows another series of six of nearly uniform size and not so large as the biggest of the previous series. This second series occupies the remainder of the joint and are disposed radially. In other cases the first series is not so well developed and the second is deficient.
The single specimen of this species is an adult female, the Genital aperatures are found near the middle of the second coxae of all the legs.
Taken in 300 fathoms off the Barrier. Bottom : mud. January 27, 1902.” (Hodgson 1907, p. 49-50)
