Pagurus pitagsaleei McLaughlin, 2002

Rahayu, Dwi Listyo, 2022, Hermit crabs of Singapore (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae, Paguridae), with description of two new species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 70, pp. 329-363 : 353

Pagurus pitagsaleei McLaughlin, 2002

( Fig. 14C, D )

Pagurus pitagsaleei McLaughlin, 2002a: 444 (type locality: Cape Panwa , Phuket, Thailand).

Pagurus cf. boreoaustraliensis Rahayu & Komai, 2000: 30 , figs. 4–8. (Not Pagurus boreoaustraliensis Morgan, 1990 ).

Material examined. 1 male, 4.0 mm ( ZRC 2021.0237 ), st. SD45, Channel between Lazarus and St John’s Island , 16.2 m, 23 May 2013 ; 1 male, 4.0 mm ( ZRC 2021.0238 ), st. IT93 Pulau Jong, 1°12.901′N 103°47.194′E, 28 May 2013 ; 1 male, 4.9 mm ( ZRC 2021.0239 ), st. IT95, Raffles Lighthouse, 01°09.600′N 103°44.456′E, intertidal reef, 28 May 2013 ; 1 ovigerous female, 3.1 mm ( ZRC 2021.0240 ), st. IT108, Raffles Lighthouse, 01°09.600′N 103°44.456′E, intertidal reef, 29 May 2013 ; 1 male, 3.3 mm ( MZB Cru 5221), st. SD133, South of Kusu Island , 11 m, 31 May 2013 ; 1 male, 4.5 mm ( MZB Cru 5222), Pulau Jong , dive, coll. 7 July 2012 ; 1 ovigerous female, 3.4 mm ( MZB Cru 5223), st. SW155, north lagoon of St John’s Island , 1°13.116′N 103°51.079′E, intertidal, 3 June 2013 .

Colour in life. Shield mottled with white and greenish blue, two bluish black blotches on each dorsal and anterior part of shield. Ocular peduncle bluish white, three short black incomplete stripes, with a shade of blue, proximally, two short black stripes distally, corneas grey. Antennular peduncle penultimate segment transparent blue with brown blotch, orange at articulation to ultimate segment; ultimate segment transparent blue, bright orange distally; flagellum bright orange. Antennal peduncle and antennal acicle white with dark blue spots. Chelipeds with palms and dactyls white with black and light brown blotches dorsally, lateral faces with broad black interrupted stripes, spines white, carpus and merus bluish white with large black stripes and blotches. P2 and P3 generally white, lateral face of each segment with different pattern of short black stripes, not reaching extremity of each segment (dactyl with one complete stripe and one interrupted stripe, propodi with two stripes with dorsolateral stripe interrupted, carpus with three stripes, merus with three stripes with dosolateral stripe interrupted), propodi, carpi, and meri each with faint shade of bluish band medially ( Fig. 14C, D ).

Distribution. Northern and Western Australia, and now Singapore; 0–11 m, collected from intertidal reef, coral, and under stone on sandy muddy area.

Remarks. Morphological characters and colour pattern of the specimens examined in this study agree well with the description of Pagurus pitagsaleei by McLaughlin (2002a). Pagurus pitagsaleei is very similar to P. boriaustraliensis , and in fact, it had initially been provisionally identified with P. boriaustraliensis by Rahayu & Komai (2000). The differences of these two species have been discussed at length by Rahayu & Komai (2000) and McLaughlin (2002a).

Figures

Fig. 14. A, Pagurus hedleyi (Grant & McCulloch, 1906), male, not measured and sexed, st. SD25, St John’s Island, 01°12.882′N 103°50.952′E, 22 May 2013; B, Pagurus kulkarnii Sankoli, 1962, ovigerous female, 4.2 mm (ZRC 2021.0253); C, D, Pagurus pitagsaleei McLaughlin, 2002a, C, male, not collected, st. SD25, St John’s Island, 01°12.882′N 103°50.952′E, 22 May 2013; D, male, 4.9 mm (ZRC 2021.0239); E, Pagurus tenuilineatus, new species, paratype, male, 4.2 mm (ZRC 2021.0255); F, Spiropagurus spiriger (De Haan, 1849), ovigerous female, not collected, Johor Strait.