Abnormal reproductive morphology in two species of spiny lobster: Jasus edwardsii and Jasus paulensis

Abstract

Jasus edwardsiiandJasus paulensisare two species of spiny lobster that are distributed across south-eastern Australia and isolated islands of the southern Indian Ocean, respectively. We present rare examples of abnormal reproductive morphology in both species. ForJasus edwardsii, this included a female lobster captured in South Australia, which, in addition to the normal pair of gonopores at the base of the third pair of pereiopods, also exhibited a second a pair of gonopores on the coxopodites of the fourth pair of pereiopods. In Tasmania, a male individual exhibited the specialized pincer on the right propopodite, normally only observed in females. The frequency of abnormal morphological reproductive characteristics appeared higher inJasus paulensis. This included 14 individuals that exhibited a range of additional and abnormal gonopore locations in both males and females. We discuss the findings in relation to rare cases of gynandromorphism in crustaceans.