Pagurus prideaux Leach, 1815

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 : 177-179

Pagurus prideaux Leach, 1815

( Fig. 17 )

Pagurus Prideaux Leach, 1815 : text to and pl. 26 figs. 5, 6. Pagurus prideauxi . — Forest, 1966: 158.

Pagurus prideaux . — Ingle, 1993: 148, figs. 121–124 (lit.).

Material examined. MU86, 91– 103 m, (1); MU88, 94– 120 m, (1); MU201, 87 m, (2); MU205, 89– 93 m, (2).

Males: 6.17–6.86 mm, ovigerous females: 5.87–7.86 mm

Habitat. Bottoms of Zostera marina Linnaeus, 1753 , maerl and littoral detritic bottoms to bathyal muds ( d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999). Also reported in Posidonia oceanica meadows ( Pipitone & Arculeo 2003; Ates et al. 2004) and rocky bottoms ( Pipitone & Arculeo 2003; Pipitone & Vaccaro 2011).

Pagurus prideaux was mainly found inhabiting shells of Fusinus rostratus (Olivi, 1792) , Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786) and Naticarius stercusmuscarum (Gmelin, 1791) but was also found in Buccinum humphreysianum Bennett, 1824 and Galeodea echinophora (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Mediterranean Sea ( Caruso et al. 2004).

The symbionts on shells were summarized by Williams & McDermott (2004).

We found our specimens on sandy bottoms, inhabiting shells of the gastropod species Calliostoma granulatum (Born, 1778) , Natica canariensis Odhner, 1932 and an unidentified species of the genus Natica , associated with hydrozoan species Clytia paulensis (Vanhöffen, 1910) and Hydractinia multitentaculata (Millard, 1975) , as well as with the cirriped Amphibalanus amphitrite (Darwin, 1854) . All specimens were in symbiosis with the actinian Adamsia palliata (O. F. Müller, 1776) .

Distribution. Widely distributed in the eastern Atlantic from the southwestern Norwegian coast to Guinea, including Madeira, the Canary and Cape Verde Islands and the Mediterranean Sea ( Caruso et al. 2004). The record from the Red Sea was considered dubious by d’Udekem d’Acoz (1999). Bathymetric distribution from the intertidal zone ( d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999) down to 678 m depth ( Caruso et al. 2004).

Other records of this species ( Ates et al. 2004; Ungaro et al. 2005; Ates et al. 2006; Serrano et al. 2006; Fanelli et al. 2007; Cartes et al. 2007; García-Muñoz et al. 2008; Sánchez et al. 2008; Koçak et al. 2010; Serrano et al. 2011; Pipitone & Vaccaro 2011; El Lakhrach et al. 2010; Ellis et al. 2013) fit well with the above-mentioned distribution.

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

Figures

FIGURE 17. Pagurus prideaux Leach, 1815. Adult male, sl: 6.17 mm (MU 205; UVIGOBA 3 03228): A, shield and cephalic appendages. B, chelipeds: left, ventrolateral view, right lateral view. Scale: A, 1 mm; B, 5 mm.