Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Family PAGURIDAE Latreille, 1802

<em>Pagurus hedleyi</em> [from Miers 1884: pl. 28 fig. C]

Pagurus hedleyi [from Miers 1884: pl. 28 fig. C]

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Regional Maps

Family PAGURIDAE Latreille, 1802

Introduction

The Paguridae is the most speciose family of 'hermit crabs' on a worldwide basis, but interestingly, in Australian waters it has little more than one third the number of species in the Diogenidae. Species are found in all oceans, and from a variety of habitats and depths. Most species are relatively small. The Paguridae have the reputation of being one of the most difficult of all decapod families for the general taxonomist, and consequently, have attracted few, but very active, specialists in recent years. At family level, recognition is usually straightforward: right-handed hermit crabs from shallow water are most likely to be pagurids. Identifying genera, however, is much less easy, requiring close attention to gill arrangements. The extensive literature and the enormous number of undescribed species, especially in the tropical Indo-West Pacific, are discouraging for the uninitiated. Gordan (1956) compiled a checklist of species and comprehensive bibliography but this has been superseded by another by McLaughlin et al. (2010) who listed about 600 species.

A selection of the most important papers dealing with the Australian fauna includes: Gunn & McLaughlin (1988); Gunn & Morgan (1992); Haig & Ball (1988); McLaughlin (1981, 1994); McLaughlin & Haig (1984, 1989); McLaughlin & Lemaitre (1993); Morgan (1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993); and de Saint Laurent & McLaughlin (2000).

 

Diagnosis

Pleonite 1 distinct from last thoracic somite. Right cheliped larger than left. Maxilliped 1 exopod with flagellum. Maxillipeds 3 widely separate at base. Pleopods 3–5 on left only, or pleopods 1 (sometimes pleopods 2) paired.

 

General References

de Saint Laurent, M. & McLaughlin, P.A. 2000. Superfamily Paguroidea, family Paguridae. pp. 104-209 in Forest, J., de Saint Laurent, M., McLaughlin, P.A. & Lemaitre, R. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Paguridea (Decapoda: Anomura) exclusive of the Lithodidae. NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 114: 1-250

Gordan, J. 1956. A bibliography of Pagurid Crabs, exclusive of Alcock, 1905. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 108(3): 257-352

Gunn, S.W. & McLaughlin, P.A. 1988. The rediscovery of Pagurus acantholepis (Stimpson) (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 49(1): 67-71

Gunn, S.W. & Morgan, G.J. 1992. A new species of Pagurixus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguridae) from southern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 53(1): 31-41

Haig, J. & Ball, E.E. 1988. Hermit crabs from north Australian and eastern Indonesian waters (Crustacea Decapoda: Anomura: Paguroidea) collected during the 1975 Alpha Helix Expedition. Records of the Australian Museum 40(3): 151-196

McLaughlin, P.A. 1981. Revision of Pylopagurus and Tomopagurus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguridae), with the descriptions of new genera and species. Part 1. Ten new genera of the Paguridae and a redescription of Tomopagurus A. Milne Edwards & Bouvier. Bulletin of Marine Science 31(1): 1-30

McLaughlin, P.A. 1994. A new genus and two new species of deep-water hermit crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae) from the Southern Ocean. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107(3): 469-481

McLaughlin, P.A., Komai, T., Lemaitre, R. & Rahayu, D.L. 2010. Annotated checklist of anomuran decapod crustaceans of the world (exclusive of the Kiwaoidea and families Chirostylidae and Galatheidae of the Galatheoidea) Part I – Lithodoidea, Lomisoidea and Paguroidea. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 23: 5-107 [http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/index.php/supplements/12-research/research-publications/254-supplement-no-23]

McLaughlin, P.A. & Haig, J. 1984. A review of Pagurixus (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) and descriptions of new species. Crustaceana 47(2): 120-148

McLaughlin, P.A. & Haig, J. 1989. On the status of Pylopaguropsis zebra (Henderson), P. magnimanus (Henderson), and Galapagurus teevanus Boone, with descriptions of seven new species of Pylopaguropsis (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridae). Micronesica 22(2): 123-171

McLaughlin, P.A. & Lemaitre, R. 1993. A review of the hermit crab genus Paguritta (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae) with descriptions of three new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 41(1): 1-29

Miyake, S. 1978. The Crustacea Anomura of Sagami Bay. Tokyo : Biological Laboratory Imperial Household 200 pp. [English], 161 pp. [Japanese], 4 pls.

Morgan, G.J. 1987. Hermit crabs (Decapoda, Anomura: Coenobitidae, Diogenidae, Paguridae) of Darwin and Port Essington, northern Australia. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 4(1): 165-186

Morgan, G.J. 1989. The hermit crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae, Paguridae) of southwestern Australia, with descriptions of two new species. Records of the Australian Museum 14(3): 391-417

Morgan, G.J. 1990. A collection of Thalassinidea, Anomura and Brachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda) from the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia. Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 265: 1-90

Morgan, G.J. 1992. The hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Coenobitidae, Diogenidae, Paguridae) of Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean, with description of a new species of Paguristes. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 40(2): 163-174

Morgan, G.J. 1993. Three new species of Pagurixus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Paguridae) from Western Australia, with notes on other Australian species. pp. 163-181 in Wells, F.E., Walker, D.E., Kirkman, H. & Lethbridge, R. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum Vol. 1 634 pp.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
13-Mar-2025 CRUSTACEA Brünnich, 1772 17-Jan-2025 MODIFIED Dr Gary Poore
24-Apr-2012 24-Apr-2012 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)