Pagurus armatus (Dana, 1855)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 184

Pagurus armatus (Dana, 1855)

( Fig. 42B–F, Pl. 9C)

Pagurus armatus Dana, 1855: 27 . — Makarov 1962: 202, pl 2, fig. 4. — McLaughlin 1974: 48, figs. 13,14. — Wicksten 1984c: 132. — McLaughlin & Gore 1992: 448, figs. 2–7. — Jensen 1995: 64, fig. 117. — Lemaitre & Castaño 2004: 77. — Kuris et al. 2007: 649.

Pagurus ochotensis: Schmitt 1921: 130 , fig. 84. [Not Pagurus ochotensis Brandt, 1851 , see McLaughlin 1974].

Diagnosis. Rostrum triangular, longer than lateral projections of carapace. stout, cornea dilated, ocular scale leafshaped, ending in stout spine. Major cheliped densely covered by triangular spines, not set into particular rows, setae; spines particularly strong along mesial margin of carpus. Minor cheliped similar, reaching about 0.5 times as long as length of fingers of major cheliped. Pereopods 2, 3 long, with spines along dorsal margins of carpus, propodus, dactyl longer than propodus, curved, with groove, small spinules along dorsal margin. Telson asymmetrical, with lateral notches, concave terminal margin lined by teeth. Uropods asymmetrical. Carapace length to 43 mm.

Color in life. Mostly reddish-orange. Carpus of chelipeds, pereopods 2, 3 with white bands flanked by dark red bands. White marks on maxillipeds. Eyestalk marked with yellowish and dark red, cornea black. Antennal flagella orange. Color of chelipeds may be obscured by silt on setae in life. The color notes are from crabs from Monterey Bay, California.

Habitat and depth. On sand, lowest intertidal zone to 146 m.

Range. Dutch Harbor, Alaska to San Diego, California. Type locality Puget Sound , Washington .

Remarks. This crab runs across sandy bottoms. The shell often is covered by pink hydroids ( Hydractinia sp. ) The crab often inhabits moon shells (family Naticidae ). In northern California, the species is very common at depths of 35–75 m ( Wicksten 1984c).