Leach, 1815

Diagnosis:
Posterior branchial carinae of carapace strongly convex, not lying in one line with anterior branchial carinae. Posterior incision of orbit with a distinct tubercle. Lateral margin of carapace with six or seven (seldom 8) posterolateral teeth. Anterior teeth of epistome directed ventrally. Merus of third maxilliped evenly swollen, most of incisions of inner margin reach beyond middle of segment; anterolateral angle of ischium reaching only slightly beyond base of merus, top rounded.

Type:
Type locality of I. peronii and S. incisus: "New Holland" ( = Australia). Manuscript notes in the Museum d Histoire naturelle in Le Havre, France, show that the actual type locality is King Island, Tasmania, 39"50'S 144"00'E. Holotype in MP, no. Pa 146, dry, in good condition.
Type locality of Phyllosoma duperreyi: "Port Jackson", Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; type in MP, no longer extant.

Geographical Distribution:
S.W., S. and S. E. coasts of Australia from Geraldton (Western Australia) to Southport (S.E. Queensland).

Habitat and Biology:
Depth range from 40 to 250 m; on soft substrates of sand or sand and mud. Larvae obtained from the plankton.

Size:
Carapace lengthbetween 2 and 8 cm, maximum total length about 23 cm.

Interest to Fisheries:
Regularly fished and almost always present at Sydney market. The species is taken by prawn trawls. Some fishermen go out specifically to catch "bugs", and sometimes over 100 kg is brought in per day. Dakin, Bennett and Pope (1969: 184) observed that 'it has quite a good flavour when cooked", but Grant (1978: 685) found that its flesh "sometimes tastes and smells strongly of garlic" and that it therefore is considered inferior to Thenus.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Crustacea
Order Decapoda
Suborder Macrura Reptantia
Superfamily Palinuroidea
Family Scyllaridae
Subfamily Ibacinae
Genus Ibacus
Species Ibacus peronii

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Ibacus peronii Leach, 1815

Scientific synonyms and common names

Ibacus peronii Leach, 1815

Synonyms:
Ibacus peronii Leach, 1815, Zoological Miscellany, 2: 152, pl. 119. Name laced on Official List of Specific Names in Zoology in Opinion 519 (published in 1958).
Scyllarus incisus Leach, 1815
? Phyllosoma duperreyi Guérin, 1829

FAO Names:
Butterfly fan lobster [English]

Local Names:
AUSTRALIA: Balmain bug, Butterfly lobster, Flapjack, Péron's Ibacus crab, Prawn-killer, Sand crayfish Sand lobster, Southern shovel-nosed lobster, Squagga

Dakin, W.J., I. Bennett and E. Pope, 1969. Australian seashores, (ed. 2):i-xii, 1-372, text figs 1-23, pls 1-99, frontispiece

Grant, E.M., 1978. Guide to fishes (ed.4):1-768, text figs, col. pls 1-325

Holthuis, L.B., 1985. A revision of the family Scyllaridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Macrura). I. Subfamily Ibacinae. Zoölogische Verhandelingen, Leiden, 218:1-130, figs 1-27

Leach, W.E., 1815b. The zoological miscellany; being descriptions of new, or interesting animals, 2: 1-154, pls. 61-120.

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