Birgus latro

Hamasaki, Katsuyuki, Tsuru, Takuma, Sanda, Tetsuya, Fujikawa, Shunsuke, Dan, Shigeki & Kitada, Shuichi, 2017, Ontogenetic change of body color patterns in laboratory-raised juveniles of six terrestrial hermit crab species, Zootaxa 4226 (4), pp. 521-545 : 529

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4226.4.5

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3EE63479-7793-42FB-BDC6-7602068C347A

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6004784

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3F1D0E35-6345-7018-68EB-42F7BAA9FB17

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Birgus latro
status

 

Birgus latro

The carapace of the first stage crab (0.88–0.96 mm SL) has a V-shaped longitudinal whitish band ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A, B). The pleon has a longitudinal whitish stripe along the middle portion and transverse whitish stripes on the portion containing the future tergal plates. The gastric and intestinal portions with a brownish content are visible under the semitransparent carapace and pleon; this feature can be observed in first stage crabs of all species.

The shield of the first stage crab has faint small brownish pigments; they develop into two brownish patches at the anterior one-third of the animal and a brownish band extending from the middle margin through each side wall of the whitish/creamy shield in juveniles that have an SL of> 1 mm after one month of age ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–G, 4A–E). The shield of some individuals has a longitudinal brownish stripe at the mid-posterior portion ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E, 4A, D, E). The second and third pereiopods of the first stage crabs are reddish ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A). After one month of age, the pereiopods generally exhibit a whitish/creamy color, and the palm of the left cheliped (the first pereiopod) develops two longitudinal brownish bands on the middle and upper portions; the propodi and carpi of the second and third pereiopods have longitudinal brownish stripes on the upper and/or lower margins; the dactyli and meri of the pereiopods become brownish ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 C, E, G, 4A, C–E). The brownish color of the body parts gradually changes to purplish after nine months of age ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A, C–E); purplish color of the specimens was not different from that of the live crab ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 D, E).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Malacostraca

Order

Decapoda

Family

Diogenidae

Genus

Birgus

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