Tomopagurus wassi McLaughlin, 1981

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 : 39

Tomopagurus wassi McLaughlin, 1981

( Figs 1 O, 2O, 3O)

Benthopagurus schmitti Wass, 1963: 136 [partim, non fig. 2a–g]. — Forest & Saint Laurent, 1968: 114 [partim].

Benthopagurus cokeri Hazlett, 1966: 84 [partim].

Tomopagurus cokeri . — Forest & Saint Laurent, 1968: 114 [partim].

Tomopagurus wassi McLaughlin, 1981: 14 , figs 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5, 6, 7b, 8b. — Coelho & Ramos-Porto, 1986:43. — Rieger, 1998: 416. — Melo, 1999: 148, fig. 90. — McLaughlin et al., 2010: 36.

Material examined. Brazil: São Paulo – Ubatuba, 1 spec. (MZUSP-12880).

Diagnosis. Shield as long as broad. Rostrum short to moderately long, triangular or slightly rounded. Lateral projections terminating in strong marginal spine. Ocular peduncles short, corneae strongly dilated. Ocular acicles acutely triangular, dorsal surface concave, terminating in submarginal spine. Right cheliped moderately long, equal to or slightly longer than palm; cutting edge with strong calcareous teeth and short row of corneous teeth distally. Left cheliped with dactyl very long, 4 or 5 times length of palm; cutting edge with row of fine corneous teeth; with prominent hiatus; dorsal surface with single or double row of small tubercles extending ¾ length of dactyl in midline, dorsomesial margin with row of strong tubercles or blunt spines, decreasing in size distally. Palm very short, approximately ¼ or less length of carpus. Carpus with dorsolateral margin ornamented with row of very strong acute spines, dorsomesial margin with row of tufts of moderately long stiff setae. Ambulatory legs slightly overreaching right cheliped. Telson with posterior lobes asymmetrical; terminal margins oblique, with row of calcareous spines or teeth.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: eastern United States, Gulf of Mexico, Antilles, Central America, Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil (from Maranhão to Bahia and São Paulo).

Habitat. Between 75 and 360 m.

Remarks. Tomopagurus wassi is close to T. cokeri (Hay, 1917) and T. maclaughlinae Haig, 1976 ; however, the latter species does not occur in the Atlantic, and is found only in the Galapagos Islands. Tomopagurus wassi can be distinguished from T. cokeri by having a row of strong spines on the carpus of the second right pereopod.

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).