Coenobita brevimanus

Hamasaki, Katsuyuki, Tsuru, Takuma, Sanda, Tetsuya, Fujikawa, Shunsuke, Dan, Shigeki & Kitada, Shuichi, 2017, Ontogenetic change of body color patterns in laboratory-raised juveniles of six terrestrial hermit crab species, Zootaxa 4226 (4), pp. 521-545 : 529

Coenobita brevimanus

The carapace of the first stage crab ( 0.87–0.89 mm SL) has a longitudinal reddish pigmented area at the middle portion of the posterior two-thirds ( Fig. 5 A, B); it also exhibits a reddish pigmented patch on the middle portion of each side wall of the shield. The reddish pigmented area and patches develop as a longitudinal brown stripe at the middle portion of the carapace and a brown band at the anterior lower part of each side of the shield, respectively, in juveniles with an SL of> 1 mm after one month of age ( Fig. 5 C–F, 6A, B). The second and third pereiopods of the first stage crab are reddish ( Fig. 5 A). After one month of age, the shield and pereiopods generally show a whitish/creamy color and gradually exhibit a greyish color ( Fig. 5 C, E, 6A–D). The body color of the live crab appears to be darker than that of the specimens ( Fig. 6 A, D).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Coenobita brevimanus. A (whole animal, dorsal view), B (whole animal, left lateral view), ON 2 (sample no. in Table 1, 0.87 mm SL, 0 months old); C (whole animal, dorsal view), D (animal showing shield and posterior carapace, left lateral view), ON 5 (1.10 mm SL, 1 month old); E (animal showing shield, posterior carapace, and some appendages, dorsal view), F (animal showing shield and posterior carapace, left lateral view), ON 6 (1.40 mm SL, 1 month old).

FIGURE 6. Coenobita brevimanus. A (animal showing shield, posterior carapace, and some appendages, dorsal view), B (animal showing shield, posterior carapace, and some appendages, left lateral view), C (animal showing left appendages, left lateral view), ON 35 (sample no. in Table 1, 2.51 mm SL, 11 months old); D (live crab with a gastropod shell, dorsal view) (approximately 1.7 mm SL, 5 months old).