Anapagurus laevis (Bell, 1846)

De Matos-Pita, Susana S. & Ramil, Fran, 2015, Hermit crabs (Decapoda: Crustacea) from deep Mauritanian waters (NW Africa) with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 3926 (2), pp. 151-190 : 172

Anapagurus laevis (Bell, 1846)

( Fig. 14 )

Pagurus laevis Bell, 1846: 184 , 185, unnumbered figure.

Anapagurus laevis .— Ingle, 1993: figs. IIIA, 42–45.— García Gómez, 1994: 13, figs. 2, 3, 44g (lit.).— García Raso, 1996: 738 (Ibero-Moroccan, 170 to 518– 526 m).

Not Anapagurus laevis .— Forest, 1955: 131, figs. 31, 32, pl. VI figs. 7–8, pl. VI fig. 6 (see García-Gómez 1994).— Forest, 1961: 239, figs. 8, 12, 16 (see García-Gómez 1994)

Material examined. MU171, 105– 100 m, (1); MU210, 86– 90 m, (1); MUBV 21, 107– 109 m, (51).

Males: 2.05–4.19 mm, ovigerous females: 2.11–2.32 mm

Habitat. Mainly a circalittoral species in coastal detritic bottoms, but also reported on hard and soft bottoms from 5 to 1262 m ( d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999); García Raso & Manjón-Cabeza (2002) found the species on Amphioxus sand.

The gastropod and scaphopod shells inhabited by this species were summarized by García Gómez (1994).

The following organisms have been reported attached to the outside of the shells inhabited by A. laevis : the poriferan Suberites domuncula (Olivi, 1792) ; the hydrozoans Podocoryna areolata (Alder, 1862) , Podocoryna borealis (Mayer, 1900) and Podocoryna carnea Sars, 1846 ; the actinian Paracalliactis lacazaei Dechancé & Dufaure, 1959 ; the zoanthids Epizoanthus incrustatus Düben & Koren, 1847 and Epizoanthus paguricola (Roule, 1900) ; the polychaetes Nereis fucata (Savigny) and Serpulidae indet; and the cirriped Balanus sp. ( García Gómez 1994; Williams & McDermott 2004).

Our specimens were found on sandy bottoms, mainly inhabiting carcinoecia of the zoanthid Epizoanthus incrustatus Düben & Koren, 1847 , although two specimens were found in the gastropod shells of Linatella caudata (Gmelin, 1791) and in a damaged Nassariidae shell.

Distribution. A. laevis has been collected in the eastern Atlantic from off Trondheimsfjord ( Norway) to off Mauritania and the western Mediterranean ( d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999).

Some records from the central and eastern Mediterranean were transferred to other species or their identification was considered questionable by García Gómez (1994). Nevertheless, the species was subsequently reported from Turkey ( Koçak et al. 2001; Ates et al. 2006) and from Sicily and Italy ( Pipitone & Arculeo 2003; Fanelli et al. 2007). Other records in Abelló et al. (2002), García Raso & Manjón-Cabeza (2002), Serrano et al. (2006), Sánchez et al. (2008), Cartes et al. (2009), Serrano et al. (2011), Papiol et al. (2012) and Ellis et al. (2013) fit well with the distribution.

In Mauritania, the species was previously recorded off southern Mauritania, at 80 m ( Chevreux & Bouvier 1892) and off Cap Blanc, at 105 m ( García Gómez 1994). Our specimens were captured in the vicinity of Cape Timiris between 86 and 109 m.

Remarks. Our specimens agree well with those described and figured by Ingle (1993) and García Gómez (1994). Laterodistal tufts with 2 or 3 setae on the ultimate antennular segment, the same inclination of all the dorsomesial spines (including the distal) on the carpus of right cheliped and the short, submarginal stiff setae in the telson support the identification of our specimens as A. laevis rather than as the closely related species A. vossi García Gómez, 1994 . The strongly expanded ocular acicle mesial margins and the different-sized spines on the right cheliped carpus dorsomesial row of spines, easily distinguish our specimens from the related species A. congolensis García Gómez, 1994 .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Anapagurus laevis (Bell, 1846). Adult male, sl: 3.01 mm (MUBV 21; UVIGOBA 3 02036): A, shield and cephalic appendages. B, chelipeds: left, dorsolateral view, right lateral view. Scale A – B, 1 mm.