Calcinus haigae Wooster, 1984

Poupin, Joseph & Lemaitre, Rafael, 2003, Hermit crabs of the genus Calcinus Dana, 1851 (Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae) from the Austral Islands, French Polynesia, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 391, pp. 1-20 : 15-16

Calcinus haigae Wooster, 1984

Calcinus haigae Wooster, 1984: 146 , fig. 5 (type locality: Guam, Marianas); Haig & McLaughlin, 1984: 110, 114 (Hawaii); Morgan, 1991: 880, figs. 17–20 ( Australia, Cocos Islands); Poupin, 1997: 695, figs. 2D, 3E, 4D ( French Polynesia); Poupin, 1998: 38; Hoover, 1998: 254, unnumbered colour photograph (Hawaii).

? Calcinus haigae .— Gherardi & McLaughlin, 1994: 619 ( Mauritius, see “Remarks”).

Material examined. French Polynesia, Austral Islands, BENTHAUS Expedition. Arago Bank: stn DW 1984, 23°26.37’S, 150°43.91’W, 40 m, 21.xi2002: 1 ɗ 6.0 mm, 1 ov. Ψ 3.7 mm ( MNHN Pg 6394).

Additional material. Caroline Islands, Ponape: Ant Atoll, off Imwinyap Island reef front, stn PNP 14, 6– 7.5 m, on Pocillopora , coll. R.K. Kropp & C. Birkeland, 17.xi.1984: 1 ɗ 2.6 mm ( USNM 255916); Pakin Atoll, 1.5 miles W of Mant Island, reef front, stn PNP 18, 6– 7.5 m, coll. R.K. Kropp & C. Birkeland, 19.xi.1984: 1 ɗ 1.6 mm, 1 Ψ 2.3 mm ( USNM 255914); Ant Atoll, 100 m N of Patya Island reef front, stn PNP 22, 4.6–6 m, on Pocillopora , coll. R.K. Kropp & C. Birkeland, 23.xi.1984: 1 Ψ 3.7 mm ( USNM 255915). American Samoa: Tuituila Island, 1 spec., coll. G. Paulay (UF 3225). French Polynesia, Tuamotu, Rangiroa atoll: off Motu Maeherehonae, outer reef slope under rock, 6–12 m, coll. G. Paulay, 10.xi.2001: 1 spec. (UF 1332), 1 spec. (UF 1744); Avatoru Motu, coll. G. Paulay, 10.x.2001: 8 spec. (UF 1333).

Diagnosis. Ocular acicles each with 2–5 (usually 3) terminal spines. Left chela with outer face regularly convex. Upper margin of right chela with 4 or 5 corneous­tipped spines. Ventrodistal pilosity of P3 weak, similar to that of P2. Telson with posterior lobes armed with 5–9 spines (left lobe) or 3–6 spines (right lobe) on terminal margins. Shield purple­brown. Ocular peduncles purple with narrow white band adjacent to cornea. Antennular peduncles black with dark blue on distal fourth of terminal segment. Antennal peduncles and antennal acicles dark brown, with tips of spines white. Chelipeds dark brown, with purple on distal half of chelae; fingers with white tips. Ambulatory legs purple, with darker purple spots on propodi and dactyls.

Distribution. Indo­Pacific: questionably from Mauritius, western Indian Ocean (see “Remarks”), and Cocos Islands ( Australia) to French Polynesia. Depth: intertidal to 40 m.

Habitat. On rocky shores along the intertidal; in coral rubble or in Pocillopora corals in the subtidal.

Remarks. According to Poupin (1997: 696) the specimens of C. haigae recorded from Mauritius by Gherardi & McLaughlin (1994) probably represent C. rosaceus Heller, 1861 , from eastern Africa and the Red Sea. However, until at least live coloration of C. rosaceus is properly documented, Poupin's hypothesis cannot be confirmed.