Paralomis spinosissima

Paralomis spinosissima, also known as the Antarctic stone crab,^[2] is a species of king crab.^[3][4]

Paralomis spinosissima's carapace is pyriform or nearly pentagonal and is slightly longer than it is wide.^[5] Its rostrum extends past the eyestalks and consists of three sharp spines – one medial pointing forward and two dorsal diverging outward and upward.^[5] Its carapace is covered with long, conical spines, and its walking legs and chelipeds are densely covered in long, sharp ones.^[5] The lateral and posterior regions of the carapace are covered by small spines, while the dorsal and ventral margins are covered in tall spines and blunt spines, respectively.^[5] It can grow up to 126 mm (5.0 in) in length and 132 mm (5.2 in) in width, and adults have weighed up to 1.40 kg (3.1 lb).^[6]

Paralomis spinosissima has been found in the Southeast Atlantic, the Scotia Sea, near South Georgia island, and south of the Falkland Islands at depths of 132–877 m (433–2,877 ft).^[5] It thrives at temperatures of about 1 °C (34 °F), relatively low for king crabs.^[7]

Paralomis spinosissima was described in 1972 as Paralomis spinosissimus by carcinologists Yakov A. Birstein and Lev G. Vinogradov.^[1] The female holotype was taken in 1965 by the trawler Akademik Knipovich off the northeast coast of South Georgia at a depth of 640–650 m (2,100–2,130 ft).^[8] Birstein and Vinogradov remarked on its carapace being similar to that of Paralomis longidactylus, described in the same paper and also found in the southwestern Atlantic.^[9]

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