Pagurus cuanensis Bell, 1846

De Matos-Pita, Susana S. & Ramil, Fran, 2015, Hermit crabs (Decapoda: Crustacea) from deep Mauritanian waters (NW Africa) with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 3926 (2), pp. 151-190 : 176-177

Pagurus cuanensis Bell, 1846

( Fig. 16 )

Pagurus cuanensis Bell, 1846: 178 , unnumbered figure.

Eupagurus cuanensis .— Forest, 1955: 114, fig 24, pl. V fig. 6.

Pagurus cuanensis .— Forest, 1958: 95 (nom.), 1966: 154.— Ingle, 1993: 129, figs. 101–104 (lit.).

Material examined. MU88, 94– 120 m, (1); MU120, 109– 105 m, (1); MU131, 102– 104 m, (1); MU133, 87 m, (1); MU144, 119– 138 m, (1); MU156, 107– 102 m, (1); MU166, 87– 85 m, (1); MU171, 105– 100 m, (2); MU174, 85– 84 m, (2); MU 186, 174 m, (2); MU201, 87 m, (1); MU205, 89– 93 m, (1); MU210, 86– 90 m, (1); MU228, 136– 172 m, (1); MU 266, 103 m, (1); MU283, 92– 91 m, (2); MUBV 20, 155 m, (11); MUBV 21, 107– 109 m, (11).

Males: 2.06–6.82 mm, females: 2.27–6.00 mm, ovigerous females: 2.95–4.50 mm

Habitat. The species is mainly reported on coastal detritic bottoms ( d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999; García Raso & Manjón-Cabeza 2002; García-Muñoz et al. 2008; El Lakhrach et al. 2012), but also in Posidonia oceanica meadows ( Sánchez-Jerez et al. 2000; Pipitone & Arculeo 2003; Ates et al. 2004), Cystoseira beds ( Koçak et al. 2010), sand ( Pipitone & Arculeo 2003; Mutlu & Ergev 2008), coralligenous substrates ( Ates et al. 2006) and rocky bottoms ( Pipitone & Arculeo 2003; Pipitone & Vaccaro 2011).

Forest (1955) reported this species inhabiting shells of the gastropod Xenophora senegalensis P. Fischer, 1873 in African waters. A complete account of the symbionts associated with the inhabited gastropod shells can be found in Williams & McDermott (2004).

Our specimens were mostly found in sandy bottoms (one sample in sandy mud bottom), mainly inhabiting gastropod shells of Xenophora crispa (König, 1825) , Mesalia opalina (Adams & Reeve, 1850) , Turritella wareni Ryall & Vos, 2010 and Turritella torulosa Kiener , 184. We also found our specimens in shells of Nassarius arcadioi Rolán & Hernández, 2005 , Babelomurex tectumsinensis (Deshayes, 1856) and an unidentified species of Marginellidae . Some shells carried worm tubes ( Serpulidae , Sabellidae ), anomiids and Demospongia.

Distribution. Widely distributed in the eastern Atlantic from Norway (Bergen) to South Africa (St Sebastian Bay, Eastern Cape), including the Azores and the Canary Islands, as well as the Mediterranean Sea ( Barnard 1950; Ingle 1993; d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999). Pagurus cuanensis has been reported from the intertidal zone down to 250 m depth ( d’Udekem d’Acoz, 1999).

Further records, all within this distribution, can be found in Sánchez-Jerez et al. (2000), Koçak et al. (2001), Abelló et al. (2002), García Raso & Manjón-Cabeza (2002), d’Udekem d’Acoz & Wirtz (2002), Pipitone & Arculeo (2003), Ungaro et al. (2005), Ates et al. (2006), García-Muñoz et al. (2008); Mutlu & Ergev (2008), Koçak et al. (2010), Thatje et al. (2010), Pipitone & Vaccaro (2011) and El Lakhrach et al. (2012).

Remarks. Our specimens coincide with those described and figured by Ingle (1993).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Pagurus cuanensis Bell, 1846. Adult male sl: 5.15 mm (MUBV 20; UVIGOBA 3 11840): A, shield and cephalic appendages. B, chelipeds: left, dorsomesial view, right lateral view. Scale A – B, 1 mm.