Pagurus speciosa, McLaughlin and Haig, 1989

Osawa, M. & Takeda, M., 2004, Hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Paguroidea) from submarine caves in the Ryukyu Islands, south-western Japan, Journal of Natural History 38, pp. 1097-1132 : 1111

Pylopaguropsis speciosa McLaughlin and Haig, 1989

Pylopaguropsis speciosa McLaughlin and Haig, 1989: 153 , figures 1c, i, 2c, 3e, 5e, 7f, 9e, 11e, 13e; Asakura, 1995: 366, pl. 97, figure 12; 2000: 78, figures 1A, B, 4, 5, 19A; Kato and Okuno, 2001: 82, unnumbered figure, 96, unnumbered figure, right.

Pagurus sp. : Jones and Morgan, 1994: 4–5, 124, unnumbered figures.

Material examined. NSMT-Cr 14367; one male (SL 4.1 mm); Irabu islet, Miyako Group; ‘L-arch’; 24°51.7∞N, 125°09.7∞E; 24 m; 14 June 1991.

Colour. See McLaughlin and Haig (1989), Jones and Morgan (1994, as Pagurus sp. ) and Kato and Okuno (2001).

Habitat. According to Kato and Okuno (2001), this species is frequently found in rocky areas at depths of more than 30 m in Hachijo Island, Izu Islands, central Japan.

Distribution. Known from the Ryukyu and Izu Islands (McLaughlin and Haig, 1989; Asakura, 2000; Kato and Okuno, 2001) and Australia (Jones and Morgan, 1994, as Pagurus sp. ), 10– 61 m.

Remarks. This species is distinguished from the other known species of the genus by the dactylus of the right cheliped with closely spaced, low, flattened tubercles on the dorsal surface and plate-like tubercles on the dorsomesial margin. The coloration of P. speciosa is also characteristic. The right cheliped is magenta and ambulatory legs are bright yellow (gold) or orange with longitudinal white stripes (McLaughlin and Haig, 1989; Kato and Okuno, 2001). The colour photographs shown as Pagurus sp. by Jones and Morgan (1994) can be correctly identified as P. speciosa , considering the morphology and coloration (see Kato and Okuno, 2001).