Rhodochirus rosaceus ( A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1893 )

Nucci, Paulo Ricardo & Melo, Gustavo Augusto Schmidt De, 2011, Hermit crabs from Brazil: Family Paguridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguroidea), except Pagurus, Zootaxa 3104, pp. 26-41 : 38

Rhodochirus rosaceus ( A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1893)

( Figs 1 N, 2N, 3N)

Pylopagurus rosaceus A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1893: 97 , pl. 7, figs 10–17. — Hay & Shore, 1918: 413, pl. 30, fig. 5. — Williams, 1965: 135, fig. 111.

Pylopagurus acutus Forest & Saint Laurent, 1968: 148 , figs 114, 120–123. — Coelho & Ramos, 1972: 166. Rhodochirus rosaceus . — McLaughlin, 1981: 4; 1981a: 330, figs 1a–3a. — Williams, 1984: 227, fig. 163. — Coelho & Ramos-Porto, 1986:43. — Hebling & Rieger, 1986: 66, fig. 2. — Rieger, 1998: 416. — Melo, 1999: 146, fig. 88. — McLaughlin et al., 2010: 35.

Material examined. Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul – Proj. GEDIP, st. 548, 1 spec. (MZUSP-12191); st. 300, 2 spec. (MZUSP-12189); 1 spec. (MZUSP-12193); st. 1674, 1 spec. (MZUSP-12188); st. 444, 1 spec. (MZUSP-12192); st. 368, 1 spec. (MZUSP-12194); st. 373, 1 spec. (MZUSP-12190).

Diagnosis. Shield as long as broad; rostrum triangular or broadly rounded; lateral projections triangular, with submarginal spine. Ocular peduncles moderately long, with corneae slightly dilated; ocular acicles triangular, with strong submarginal spine. Right cheliped with ventral margins of merus ornamented with spines; dorsomesial margin of carpus with row of spines; dorsal surfaces of chela and dactyl ornamented with closely spaced acute or blunt spines, each with basal rosette. Left cheliped with blunt or acute spines on ventral margin of merus; dorsal margin of carpus with row of strong spines; dorsal surfaces of palm and fixed finger with closely spaced spines, each usually with basal rosette. Dactyls of second and third pereopods with rows of corneous spines on dorsal and ventral margins and mesial face. Telson with terminal margins oblique, armed with 13 strong acute spines.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: United States (North Carolina, Florida), Gulf of Mexico, Antilles, Suriname and Brazil (from São Paulo to Rio Grande do Sul).

Habitat. Muddy bottoms, between 90 and 210 m.

Remarks. The genus Rhodochirus was established by McLaughlin (1981a), and has only two species: R. hirtimanus , from the eastern Pacific, and R. rosaceus , from the western Atlantic.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Shield and cephalic region: A, Agaricochirus gibbosimanus; B, Anisopagurus bartletti; C, Catapagurus sharreri; D, Goreopagurus lemaitrei; E, Iridopagurus iris; F, I. reticulatus; G, I. violaceus; H, Nematopaguroides fagei; I, N. pusillus; J, Phimochirus holthuisi; K, P. occlusus; L, Propagurus gaudichaudii; M, Pylopagurus discoidalis; N, Rhodochirus rosaceus; and O, Tomopagurus wassi. (In B and I the scale corresponds to the length of the shield).