Phimochirus holthuisi ( Provenzano, 1961 )

Nucci, Paulo Ricardo & Melo, Gustavo Augusto Schmidt De, 2011, Hermit crabs from Brazil: Family Paguridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguroidea), except Pagurus, Zootaxa 3104, pp. 26-41 : 36

Phimochirus holthuisi ( Provenzano, 1961)

( Figs 1 J, 2J, 3J)

Pylopagurus operculatus . — Holthuis, 1959: 157, fig. 31. [Non Pylopagurus operculatus ( Stimpson, 1859) ]. Pylopagurus holthuisi Provenzano, 1961: 162 , fig. 3. — Sanchez, 1977: 222, fig. 5B.

Phimochirus holthuisi . — McLaughlin, 1981a: 5; 1981b: 342, figs 4c, 6a–c, 7c. — Williams, 1984: 225. — Coelho & Ramos- Porto, 1986: 42. — Rieger, 1998: 421. — Melo, 1999: 140, fig. 82. — McLaughlin et al., 2010: 34.

Material examined. Brazil: Pará – Proj. Geomar, st. 151, 1 spec. (DOUFPE-3806); 1 spec. (MZUSP-7221). Bahia – Salvador, “Almirante Saldanha”, st. 1981b, 1 spec. (MZUSP-8910).

Diagnosis. Shield longer than broad. Rostrum triangular or rounded, sometimes with terminal spinule. Lateral projections broadly triangular, with small marginal or submarginal spine. Ocular peduncles moderately short; corneae slightly dilated; ocular acicles long, triangular, with small submarginal spine. Right cheliped with ventral margins of merus tuberculate or spinose; carpus with dorsal face slightly tuberculate; dorsal surface of palm and fixed finger distally tuberculate; dactyl with dorsal median row of tubercles. Left cheliped with 1 spine and few spinules on ventrolateral margin of merus; dorsolateral margin of carpus with strong spine; chela unarmed or with 2–4 small spines proximally. Dactyls of second and third pereopods longer than propodi. Telson with terminal margins oblique, each armed with several strong spines.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: United States (North Carolina to Florida), Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Colombia, Guyanas and Brazil (from Amapá to Bahia).

Habitat. From shallow waters to 210 m. Mainly in calcareous algae.

Remarks. Phimochirus holthuisi is very close to P. operculatus ( Stimpson, 1859) , a species not found in Brazil. According to McLaughlin (1981b), P. holthuisi varies widely both morphologically and in pigmentation, and these variations are unrelated to the location or depth of collection.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Shield and cephalic region: A, Agaricochirus gibbosimanus; B, Anisopagurus bartletti; C, Catapagurus sharreri; D, Goreopagurus lemaitrei; E, Iridopagurus iris; F, I. reticulatus; G, I. violaceus; H, Nematopaguroides fagei; I, N. pusillus; J, Phimochirus holthuisi; K, P. occlusus; L, Propagurus gaudichaudii; M, Pylopagurus discoidalis; N, Rhodochirus rosaceus; and O, Tomopagurus wassi. (In B and I the scale corresponds to the length of the shield).