Pagurus quaylei Hart, 1971

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 191

Pagurus quaylei Hart, 1971

( Fig. 44H)

Pagurus quaylei Hart, 1971: 1532 , figs. 8–16. — McLaughlin 1974: 85, figs. 20, 21. — Hart 1982: 158, fig. 61. — Lemaitre & Castaño 2004: 79.

Diagnosis. Rostrum triangular, low; barely longer than lateral projections of carapace. Eyestalk elongate, cornea slightly longer than stalk, ocular scale oval, with 1 or more marginal teeth. Major cheliped stout, shorter than pereopod 2, setose; merus with 1 or more large ventral knobs, carpus with small dorsal spines, larger spines on inner margin; hand convex with numerous sharp spines in irregular rows, finger short. Minor cheliped long, slender, setose, spinulose; row of prominent spines on dorsomedial surface of carpus; fingers gaping. Pereopods 2, 3 long, slender, with tufts of setae; pereopods 2 with serrate margins of carpi, propodi; pereopods 3 with few spines on carpus, dactyls longer than propodi, slightly curved. Dactyl of left pereopod 3 may be armed with numerous spines, tubercles. Telson asymmetrical, lateral margins with notches, terminal margin with deep notch, spinules. Uropods asymmetrical. Carapace length 4.3 mm.

Color in life. Mostly brown or gray. Major cheliped with merus dark brown with light spots, pale distal band; carpus mottled gray to brown with gray spots, spines; palm greenish-brown with gray, white spines; fingers white. Minor cheliped similar but distal part of carpus white, distal part of hand gray-blue. Pereopods 2, 3 with band of red-brown, gray, whitish on merus, carpus gray to white with red-brown stripes; propodus gray with 4 red-brown stripes, dactyl with dark gray patch proximally, short red-brown stripes dorsally, laterally. Eyestalk pale brown with red, brown, white dots; cornea with 2 circular bands. Antennal flagellum irregularly banded with dark brown ( Hart 1982).

Habitat and depth. Sand or gravel, lowest intertidal zone to 97 m.

Range. San Fernando I., Alaska to San Quentin Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Type locality off Frederick I., British Columbia .

Remarks. Along the Palos Verdes Peninsula, California, this small hermit crab is very common on sandy sea floors and among tubes of sand-dwelling polychaete worms.