Bivalvopagurus sinensis (de Saint Laurent, 1972 )

Lemaitre, Rafael, 2006, Two new species of Parapaguridae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Paguroidea) with subconical corneas, and new data on biology of some rare species, Zoosystema 28 (2), pp. 517-532 : 530

Bivalvopagurus sinensis (de Saint Laurent, 1972)

Parapagurus sinensis de Saint Laurent, 1972: 116 , figs 12, 24 (type locality: South China Sea, 16°19.3’N, 114°29’E, 220 m).

Sympagurus sinensis – Lemaitre 1989: 37.

Bivalvopagurus sinensis – Lemaitre 1993: 12, figs 1-4.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: South China Sea. Fisheries Research Station Hong Kong, Cruise 7, stn 55, transect 172, 16°19.3’N, 114°29’E, 220 m, [no date], ♂ 9.0 mm (MNHN-Pg 1238).

Paratype: same stn data as holotype, ♂ 7.3 mm (MNHN- Pg 2239).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Philippines. MUS- ORSTOM 2, stn CP 79, 13°45’S, 120°32’E, 682-770 m, 1.XII.1980, 1 ♂ 7.9 mm (MNHN-Pg 6415).

MUSORSTOM 3, stn CP 133, 11°58’S, 121°52’E, 334- 390 m, 5.VI.1985, 1 ♀ 11.7 mm (MNHN-Pg 6700). Solomon Islands. SALOMON 1, stn CP 1833, 10°11.8’S, 161°18.7’E, 367-533 m, 5.X.2000, 1 ovig. ♀ 8.4 mm (MNHN-Pg 6701).

DISTRIBUTION. — South China Sea, and now the Philippines, and Solomon Islands; 200-770 m.

REMARKS

As previously mentioned, Lemaitre (1993) gave the name Bivalvopagurus to this monotypic genus presuming that its only species, B. sinensis , used exclusively mollusks bivalve shells as housing. The considerable number of specimens (122) of this species available to Lemaitre (1993), many of which were found living in bivalve shells with an actinian (although some hermit specimens were also found preserved without any housing), led to the derivation of the generic name. The new specimens reported here were each found living with a Stylobates -like actinian completely covering a very small gastropod shell near the apex of the carcinoecia. Thus, the habitat used by B. sinensis is variable, and the generic name was evidently prematurely chosen. The new material of B. sinensis extends the range of this species considerably to the south and west of the western Pacific.