Lithodes aotearoa

Lithodes aotearoa is a species of king crab endemic to New Zealand.^[3] It had formerly been confused with L. longispina and L. murrayi, which until 2010 were thought to occur in the region.^[4] It is the second most widespread and common lithodid in New Zealand waters after Neolithodes brodiei,^[5] and the New Zealand Department of Conservation classifies it as "Not Threatened".^[1]

Lithodes aotearoa
Juvenile above, adult specimen below
Conservation status
Not Threatened (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Anomura
Family:	Lithodidae
Genus:	Lithodes
Species:	L. aotearoa
Binomial name
Lithodes aotearoa Ahyong, 2010[2]

Holotype site: NIWA 34924'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"'

Description

Lithodes aotearoa is deep-purplish red in colour and has a pyriform carapace.^[6] The carapace is covered with prominent, slender spines in juveniles and short, conical spines in adults.^[7] Inbetween the spines are a smooth surface sparsely dotted with granules or small secondary spines.^[7] Its carapace has been measured as large as 195.0 mm (7.68 in) in postrostral length and 199.1 mm (7.84 in) in width in a male specimen.^[8][a] The largest known female carapace measures 190.5 mm (7.50 in) in postrostral length and 183.9 mm (7.24 in) in width.^[9][a] Its rearmost pair of walking legs is the longest, and its legspan can be over 130 cm (51 in).^[10] It is the largest lithodid known from New Zealand.^[8]

Fisheries

Lithodes aotearoa are commercially fished in the waters around New Zealand.^[11] They are included, with Neolithodes brodiei, in the total allowable commercial catch of up to 90 t (200,000 lb; 99 short tons) for king crabs under New Zealand's Quota Management System.^[11]

Notes

1. Postrostral length excludes the rostrum. Including the rostrum, the carapace is 240.0 mm (9.45 in) long in the male and 230.5 mm (9.07 in) in the female.^[9]