Paguristes bellula, Osawa & Okuno, 2007

Osawa, Masayuki & Fujita, Yoshihisa, 2019, Submarine cave hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Paguroidea) from three islands of the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan, Zootaxa 4560 (3), pp. 463-482 : 473

Pylopaguropsis bellula Osawa & Okuno, 2007

( Fig. 3A )

Pylopaguropsis bellula Osawa & Okuno, 2007: 31 , figs. 1–5, 6A, B, 7A, B (type locality: Kume Island, Ryukyu Islands).

Material examined. Ie Island, unnamed submarine cave: main tube, 7 September 2016, 2 males (sl 2.9, 3.3 mm), 1 ovigerous female (sl 4.6 mm), RUMF-ZC-6041 ( IE 13 ); main tube, near bifurcation of tube, 7 September 2016, 1 male (sl 4.1 mm), RUMF-ZC-6042 ( IE 17 ); main tube, near bifurcation of tube, 8 September 2016, 1 male (sl 3.6 mm), RUMF-ZC-6043 ( IE 59 ). Okinawa Island , Hedo Dome cave : main tube, 11 August 2016, 1 male (sl 2.6 mm), RUMF-ZC-6044 ( HD 2016-67). Shimoji Island, Akuma-no-Yakata cave: entrance, 1 September 2017, 1 male (sl 3.8 mm), RUMF-ZC-6045 ( SH 101).

Distribution. Ryukyu Islands (Ie Island, Okinawa Island, Kume Island, and Shimoji Island) in southwestern Japan; 15–35 m ( Osawa & Okuno 2007; present study).

Habitat. Coral reefs; found in submarine caves and crevices of fore-reef slopes ( Osawa & Okuno 2007).

Remarks. Five species of the genus Pylopaguropsis Alcock, 1905, P. bellula , P. fimbriata , P. granulata , P. keijii , and P. speciosa , have been recorded from the submarine caves in the Ryukyu Islands ( Osawa & Takeda 2004; Osawa & Okuno 2007; Osawa & Fujita 2016; present study; Table 2). The dactyli and propodi of the ambulatory legs are solid-colored in P. bellula and P. keijii , whereas those of P. fimbriata , P. granulata , and P. speciosa have white stripes ( Fig. 3 ). Although such a solid coloration of the ambulatory legs is also known in another congener P. furusei Asakura, 2000 , it is uncommon and usually striped in other Pylopaguropsis species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Entire animal, dorsal view. A, Pylopaguropsis bellula Osawa & Okuno, 2007, male (sl 4.1 mm), RUMF-ZC-6042 (IE17); B, Pylopaguropsis fimbriata McLaughlin & Haig, 1989, ovigerous female (sl 4.4 mm), RUMF-ZC-6046 (IE179); C, Pylopaguropsis granulata Asakura, 2000, female (sl 4.8 mm), RUMF-ZC-6052 (HD2017-31); D, Pylopaguropsis keijii McLaughlin & Haig, 1989, male (sl 1.9 mm), RUMF-ZC-6055 (HD2017-87); E, Pylopaguropsis speciosa McLaughlin & Haig, 1989, ovigerous female (sl 3.7 mm), RUMF-ZC-6058 (SH104).