§5.17Τῶν δὲ μαλακοστράκων οἱ κάραβοι μετὰ τὴν ὀχείαν κύουσι καὶ ἴσχουσι τὰ ᾠὰ περὶ τρεῖς μῆνας, Σκιρροφοριῶνα καὶ Ἑκατομβαιῶνα καὶ Μεταγειτνιῶνα· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα προστίκτουσιν ὑπὸ τὴν κοιλίαν εἰς τὰς πτύχας, καὶ αὐξάνεται αὐτῶν τὰ ᾠὰ ὥσπερ οἱ σκώληκες.
Of the crustaceans, spiny lobsters carry young after copulation and hold their eggs for about three months—during the months of Scirophorion, Hecatombaeon, and Metageitnion; after this, they spawn them under their belly into the folds, and their eggs grow like larvae.
Τὸ δ’ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μαλακίων ἐστὶ καὶ τῶν ἰχθύων, ὅσοι ᾠοτοκοῦσιν· αὐξάνεται γὰρ πάντων τὸ ᾠόν.
This same thing is also true of the molluscs and of all fishes that are oviparous; for the egg of all of them grows.
Τὸ μὲν οὖν ᾠὸν γίνεται ψαθυρὸν τῶν καράβων, διῃρημένον εἰς ὀκτὼ μοίρας.
Now, the egg of the spiny lobsters is easily crumbled, and is divided into eight parts.
Καθ’ ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν ἐπικαλυμμάτων τῶν ἐκ τοῦ πλαγίου πεφυκότων ἐστὶ χονδρῶδές τι πρὸς ὃ περιφύεται, καὶ τὸ ὅλον γίνεται ὥσπερ βότρυς· σχίζεται γὰρ ἕκαστον εἰς πλείω τῶν χονδρωδῶν.
For under each of the covers that grow from the side, there is a certain cartilaginous substance around which the eggs grow, and the whole becomes like a cluster of grapes; for each of the cartilaginous parts splits into several branches.
Ταῦτα δὲ διαστέλλοντι μὲν γίνεται φανερά, προσβλέποντι δὲ συνεστηκός τι φαίνεται· καὶ γίνεται δὲ μέγιστα οὐ τὰ πρὸς τῷ πόρῳ ἀλλὰ τὰ κατὰ μέσον, ἐλάχιστα δὲ τὰ ἔσχατα.
These become clear to one pulling them apart, but to one looking at them, they appear as a solid mass; and the largest eggs are not those near the outlet, but those in the middle, while the smallest are those at the extremities.
Τὸ δὲ μέγεθος τῶν ᾠῶν τῶν μικρῶν ἐστὶν ἡλίκον κεγχραμίς.
The size of the small eggs is about as large as a millet seed.
Οὐκ εὐθὺς δ’ ἐστὶν ἐχόμενα τοῦ πόρου, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μέσον· ἑκατέρωθεν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς κέρκου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θώρακος δύο διαστήματα μάλιστα ἀπέχει· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἐπικαλύμματα πέφυκεν.
They are not immediately adjacent to the outlet, but in the middle; for they are kept apart by a distance of about two intervals on either side, from the tail and from the thorax; for the covers also grow in this way.
Αὐτὰ μὲν οὖν τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πλαγίου οὐ δύναται συμπεριλαμβάνειν, τοῦ δ’ ἄκρου προσεπιτεθέντος καλύπτει πάντα, καὶ γίνεται τοῦτ’ αὐτοῖς οἷον πῶμα.
The side covers by themselves cannot enclose them all, but when the one at the end is placed over them, it covers everything, and this becomes like a lid for them.
Ἔοικε δὲ τὰ ᾠὰ τίκτουσα προσάγειν πρὸς τὰ χονδρώδη τῷ πλάτει τῆς κέρκου προσαναπτυττομένης, καὶ προσπιέσασα εὐθὺς καὶ κεκαμμένη ἀποτίκτειν.
She seems, when laying eggs, to bring them near the cartilaginous parts by folding in the flat part of her tail, and having pressed them closely, she immediately bends and spawns.
Τὰ δὲ χονδρώδη κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους αὐξάνεται καὶ δεκτικὰ γίνεται τῶν ᾠῶν· πρὸς τὰ χονδρώδη γὰρ ἀποτίκτουσι, καθάπερ αἱ σηπίαι πρὸς τὰ κλήματα καὶ τὸν φορυτόν.
The cartilaginous parts grow at these seasons and become receptive of the eggs; for they spawn against these cartilaginous parts, just as cuttlefishes spawn against twigs and rubbish.
Ἀποτίκτει μὲν οὖν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον, συμπέψασα δ’ ἐνταῦθα μάλιστα ἐν εἴκοσιν ἡμέραις ἀποβάλλει συνεστηκὸς καὶ ἀθρόον, ὥσπερ φαίνεται καὶ ἐκτός· εἶτ’ ἐκ τούτων γίνονται οἱ κάραβοι ἐν ἡμέραις μάλιστα πεντεκαίδεκα, καὶ λαμβάνονται πολλάκις ἐλάττους ἢ δακτυλιαῖοι.
In this manner they spawn, and having incubated them there for about twenty days, they cast them off as a cohesive and single mass, just as is visible from the outside; then from these the spiny lobsters are formed in about fifteen days, and they are often caught when smaller than a finger-breadth.
Προεκτίκτει μὲν οὖν πρὸ ἀρκτούρου, μετὰ δ’ ἀρκτοῦρον ἀποβάλλει τὰ ᾠά.
They lay their eggs before the rising of Arcturus, and after Arcturus they cast them off.
Τῶν δὲ κυφῶν καρίδων ἡ κύησίς ἐστι περὶ τέτταρας μῆνας.
The gestation of the hump-backed shrimps is about four months.
Γίνονται δ’ οἱ μὲν κάραβοι ἐν τοῖς τραχέσι καὶ πετρώδεσιν, οἱ δ’ ἀστακοὶ ἐν τοῖς λείοις· ἐν δὲ τοῖς πηλώδεσιν οὐδέτεροι· διὸ καὶ ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ μὲν καὶ περὶ Θάσον ἀστακοὶ γίνονται, περὶ δὲ τὸ Σίγειον καὶ τὸν Ἄθων κάραβοι.
Spiny lobsters are generated in rough and rocky places, and lobsters in smooth places, but neither of them in muddy ones; which is why lobsters are found in the Hellespont and around Thasos, and spiny lobsters around Sigeum and Mount Athos.
Διασημαίνονται δὲ τοὺς τόπους οἱ ἁλιεῖς τούς τε τραχεῖς καὶ τοὺς πηλώδεις ταῖς τε ἀκταῖς καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς τοιούτοις σημείοις, ὅταν βούλωνται ἐν τῷ πελάγει ποιεῖσθαι τὴν θήραν.
Fishermen distinguish the rough places from the muddy ones by the appearance of the shores and other such signs, when they wish to fish in the open sea.
Γίνονται δ’ ἐν μὲν τῷ χειμῶνι καὶ τῷ ἔαρι πρὸς τῇ γῇ μᾶλλον, τοῦ δὲ θέρους ἐν τῷ πελάγει, διώκοντα ὁτὲ μὲν τὴν ἀλέαν ὁτὲ δὲ τὸ ψῦχος.
In winter and spring they stay rather near the land, but in summer in the deep sea, pursuing at one time warmth and at another cold.
Τοῖς δὲ χρόνοις παραπλησίως καὶ αἱ καλούμεναι ἄρκτοι τίκτουσι τοῖς καράβοις· διὸ καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ πρὶν ἐκτεκεῖν τοῦ ἔαρος ἄρισταί εἰσιν, ὅταν δ’ ἐκτέκωσι, χείρισται.
At nearly the same seasons, those called bears also spawn, just like the spiny lobsters; wherefore they are in the best condition in winter and in spring before spawning, but when they have spawned, they are at their worst.
Ἐκδύνουσι δὲ τὸ κέλυφος τοῦ ἔαρος, ὥσπερ οἱ ὄφεις τὸ καλούμενον γῆρας, καὶ εὐθὺς γινόμενοι καὶ ὕστερον καὶ οἱ κάραβοι καὶ οἱ καρκίνοι.
They shed their shell in spring, just as snakes shed what is called their old age; and they do this both immediately after birth and later on, both the spiny lobsters and the crabs.
Εἰσὶ δ’ οἱ κάραβοι μακρόβιοι πάντες.
Spiny lobsters are all long-lived.