Paguristes spectabilis McLaughlin & Provenzano, 1975

Lemaitre, Rafael & Tavares, Marcos, 2015, New taxonomic and distributional information on hermit crabs (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguroidea) from the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Atlantic coast of South America, Zootaxa 3994 (4), pp. 451-506 : 469-472

Paguristes spectabilis McLaughlin & Provenzano, 1975

( Figs. 3–5 )

Paguristes spectabilis McLaughlin & Provenzano, 1975: 886 , figs 1–3 (type locality: off Trinidad, 11°14.5’N, 61°46.2’W).— McLaughlin et al., 2010: 23.

Type material. Caribbean Sea, Lesser Antilles. Holotype female 4.9 mm, off Trinidad, R/V Pillsbury, sta P-849, 11°14.5’N, 61°46.2’W, 137–143 m, 2 Jul 1969 ( USNM 143639).

New material. Brazil. São Paulo, TAAF MD55, sta 63 CB 104, 23°42’S, 42°07’W, 430 m, 1 Jun 1987: 1 female 4.6 mm, 1 ov female 4.5 mm ( MZUSP 16814).

Diagnosis. Thirteen pairs of biserial gills. Shield ( Fig. 1A ) slightly longer than broad, (about 1.1 as long as broad); dorsal surface with tufts of setae and irregular rows of small spines or tubercles on dorsolateral surfaces; anteromedian region subdivided into 2 low, rounded ridges. Rostrum subtriangular, reaching to about same level of lateral projections and ending in minute spine, margins with fringe of long setae. Lateral projections broadly subtriangular, terminating in small spine. Ocular peduncles about 0.6 times as long as shield, with dorsal row of long setae; corneas weakly dilated; ocular acicles subtriangular, each terminating in simple spine with 1–3 accessory spines laterally. Antennular peduncles slender, exceeding distal margins of corneas by about 0.2 length of ultimate segment. Antennal peduncles short, reaching to about midlevel of corneas; second segment with distolateral angle strongly produced, terminating in strong, multifid spine, mesial margin with row of 3 or 4 small spines; acicle reaching to about proximal margin of cornea, terminating in strongly bifid spine, with 3 or 4 distinct spines mesially and unarmed or with up to 4 small spines laterally; fourth segment with distinct lateral dorsodistal spine; flagellum short, reaching to about distal tip of chelipeds, with numerous setae 1–3 flagellar articles in length. Third maxilliped merus armed with 3–6 small, blunt ventral spines; ischium with crista dentata consisting of row of 18–20 small, subequal corneous teeth; basis unarmed except for row of long setae mesially. Chelipeds ( Fig. 4 A–D) subequal in strength and size, moderately setose, similarly armed on meri, carpi and chelae with spines (most corneous tipped); fixed finger and palm with distinct, well spaced and mostly corneous-tipped spines on dorsolateral surfaces; carpi and palm each with row of strong spines on dorsomesial margin; meri mostly smooth except for ventromesial row of small spines, and ventrolateral row of long setae. Ambulatory legs ( Fig. 5 A–D) with moderately dense setae or tufts of setae, denser on dactyls; carpi with weak dorsolateral longitudinal groove; carpus and propodus of first ambulatory leg with dorsal row of strong spines; carpus of second ambulatory leg with small dorsodistal spine, propodus unarmed except for tufts of setae on dorsal and ventral margins; dactyls 2.0–2.1 times as long as propodus, with numerous tufts of setae, and ventromesial row of 20–25 minute corneous spines. Fourth pereopod ( Fig. 5 E) semichelate; dactyl with prominent preungual process at base of claw, and ventrolateral row of corneous spinules; propodal rasp consisting of 2–4 rows of ovate, corneous scales (number of rows increasing distally). Protopod of uropods ( Fig. 3 B) with irregular row of sharp, corneous-tipped spines on ventral angle. Telson ( Fig. 3 C) with lobes slightly asymmetrical; posterior lobes separated by narrow, median cleft, terminal margins rounded, setose, and armed with strong spines of which distalmost are strongest and corneous-tipped. Female with paired first gonopods and left pleopods 2–5; first gonopod with plumose setae, distal lobe slender; brood pouch ( Fig. 3 D) well developed over pleopod 4, subquadrate or subtrapezoidal, margins setose (setae denser in ovigerous females). Male unknown.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: from Trinidad, in the Caribbean Sea, and off São Paulo, Brazil, in southwestern Atlantic. Depth: 137 to 430 m.

Color. See McLaughlin & Provenzano (1975).

Remarks. Paguristes spectabilis was previously known only from the holotype collected in the extreme southeastern Caribbean, off Trinidad ( McLaughlin & Provenzano 1975). Thus, the range of this species is expanded considerably by nearly 34° of latitude to the southwestern Atlantic, reaching to off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two females reported herein differ slightly from the holotype of P. spectabilis in having two or three accessory spines on the lateral margins, instead of one as in the holotype; and lacking spines on the lateral margins of the anterior lobes of the telson, whereas the lobes in the holotype have one (left lobe) or three (right lobe) small spines. Both differences can be attributed to intraspecific variations.

McLaughlin & Provenzano (1975) did not indicate in Paguristes spectabilis the presence of a preungual process, which herein is documented to occur in this species as conical and elongate in shape, and weakly calcified ( Fig. 5 E). Although this diagnostic structure had been discovered several years earlier by de Saint Laurent (1969b) in Solenopagurus , at the time of the description of P. spectabilis , it was not yet customary to observe for the presence of this process.

Males of this species remain unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Paguristes spectabilis McLaughlin & Provenzano, 1875: female 4.6 mm, Brazil, TAAF MD 55, sta 63 CB 104 (MZUSP 16814). A, shield and cephalic appendages, dorsal; B, left uropod, dorsal; C, telson, dorsal; D, female brood pouch on fourth pleopod. Scales 1 mm (A, D), 0.5 mm B, C).

FIGURE 4. Paguristes spectabilis McLaughlin & Provenzano, 1875: female 4.6 mm, Brazil, TAAF MD 55, sta 63 CB 104 (MZUSP 16814). A, right cheliped, dorsal; B, same mesial; C, left cheliped, dorsal; D, same, mesial. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Paguristes spectabilis McLaughlin & Provenzano, 1875: female 4.6 mm, Brazil, TAAF MD 55, sta 63 CB 104 (MZUSP 16814). A, right second pereopod, lateral; B, dactyl of same, mesial; C, right third pereopod, lateral; D, dactyl of same, mesial; E, propodus and dactyl of left fourth pereopod, lateral. Scales: 1 mm (A – D), 0.5 mm (E).

FIGURE 1. A, Coenobita clypeatus (Fabricius, 1787), in gastropod Melongena melongena: dry specimens [not sexed or measured], W. J. Broderip collection (NHM B 2195, NHM B 2196); B, Allodardanus bredini Haig & Provenzano, 1965, female 10.1 mm, in gastropod shell, Curaçao, Curasub 13 – 21 (USNM 1253325); C, Bathynarius anomalus (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1893), in gastropod shell, male, 4.0 mm, Curaçao 12 – 11, CURI 12088 (USNM 1253278); D, Paguristes spinipes A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, in gastropod shell: male 4.8 mm, Curaçao, Curasub 12 – 03, CURI 12040 (USNM 1253258); E, Pylopagurus discoidalis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880), in scaphopod shells: male 6.3 mm (right), 1 female 5.1 mm (center), 1 ov female 5.8 mm (left), Curaçao, Curasub 12 – 09 (right and center specimens: CURI 12030, CURI 12031, USNM 1253259; left specimen USNM 1253260). (Photos: A, H. Taylor, NHM; B – E, B. B. Brown, Curaçao Seaquarium). Scale: 20 mm (A).