Coenobita violascens

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 : 539

Coenobita violascens

The shield of the first stage crab (1.06–1.07 mm SL) has faint reddish pigments ( Fig. 13 A, B); they develop as two longitudinal dark reddish brown bands on the middle portion and a dark reddish brown band at the anterior lower portion of each side wall of the whitish/creamy shield in juveniles with an SL of> 1.1 mm after one month of age ( Fig. 13 C–F, 14A–F). The ocular peduncle of the first stage crab is reddish ( Fig. 13 A, B); it gradually becomes a whitish color dorsally and laterally and develops a dark reddish brown band ventrally ( Fig. 13 C–F, 14A–F). The ocular acicles and the upper edge of the shield exhibit a reddish brown color in juveniles with an SL of> 1.4 mm after three months of age ( Fig. 13 E, F, 14A–F). The chelipeds and the second and third pereiopods of first stage crabs are brownish red, excluding the distal and proximal parts of each segment; they appear to have whitish rings at the boundaries between segments ( Fig. 13 A, B). The whitish part becomes prominent in the left second and third pereiopods, especially at the distal propodus of the left third pereiopod ( Fig. 13 E, F, 14A–F). Longitudinal white stripes develop on the middle and ventral portions of the left cheliped palm ( Fig. 13 E, F, 14A–F).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Coenobita violascens. A (whole animal, dorsal view), B (animal showing ocular peduncles, shield, posterior carapace and some appendages, right lateral view), K 3 (sample no. in Table 2, 1.06 mm SL, 0 months old); C (whole animal, dorsal view), D (animal showing ocular peduncles, shield, and posterior carapace, left lateral view), K 6 (1.37 mm SL, 1 month old); E (animal showing ocular peduncles, ocular acicles, shield, posterior carapace and some appendages, dorsal view), F (whole animal, left lateral view), K 9 (1.44 mm SL, 3 months old).