Sympagurus Smith, 1883

Lemaitre, R., 1996, Hermit crabs of the family Parapaguridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from Australia: species of Strobopagurus Lemaitre, 1989, Sympagurus Smith, 1883 and two new genera., Records of the Australian Museum 48 (2), pp. 163-221 : 169-170

Sympagurus Smith, 1883 , S.s.

Sympagurus Smith, 1883:37 .- Lemaitre, 1989:36. Type species by monotypy: Sympagurus pictus Smith, 1883 . Gender: Masculine.

Parapagurus .-De Saint Laurent, 1972: 101 (in part).

Diagnosis. Twelve pairs of gills: 11 trichobranchiate or intermediate and 1 pair of vestigial pleurobranchiae on last thoracic somite. Shield about as broad as long, or slightly broader than long; dorsal surface usually with irregularly-shaped, weakly calcified areas. Corneae weakly to moderately dilated. Fourth segment of antennal peduncle unarmed, or with small dorsodistal spine. Epistomial spine straight or absent. Right chela with rounded dorsomesial and dorsolateral margins, or sometimes operculate with well delimited dorsomesial and dorsolateral margins. Left cheliped usually well calcified. Ambulatory legs with dactyls curved. Fourth pereopod with propodal rasp consisting of 1 or more rows of corneous scales or spines. Second abdominal somite with left pleuron terminating ventrally in small subtriangular lobe. Males with moderately to well developed paired 1st and 2nd pleopods.

Species. In addition to the new species described herein as S. papposus , S. soela , and S. villosus , the following are retained in Sympagurus s.s.: S. aeinops Lemaitre, 1989, S. afJinis ( Henderson, 1888), S. andersoni ( Henderson, 1896), S. brevipes (De Saint Laurent, 1972) , S. dimorphus ( Studer, 1883) , S. dofleini ( Balss, 1912) , S. pietus Smith, 1883, S. planimanus (De Saint Laurent, 1972) , S. poupini Lemaitre, 1994, and S. trispinosus ( Balss, 1911) .

Key to Australian species of Sympagurus s.s.

(In the following key, juveniles (SL <S.S mm) of S. brevipes are not considered; S. papposus n.sp. is keyed twice to account for variation in the ocular acicles)

l. Propodal TODO rasp of 4th pereopod TODO with TODO

--Propodal rasp of 4th pereopod with 2 or more rows of scales...........................................3

2.

3. Fourth antennal segment armed with dorsodistal spine ....................................S. dimorphus

4. Ocular acicles simple or bifid (one side only)........................................................................

S. Propodal rasp of 4th pereopod with 4-6 rows of scales......................................S. brevipes

--Propodal rasp of 4th pereopod with 2 -3 rows scales....................................

7

6. Posterior lobes of telson separated by broad, shallow median cleft; merus of 3rd pereopod short, length distinctly less than 3timesdorsoventralheight................................................................................... S.trispinosus

--Posterior lobes of telson separated by narrow, deep median cleft (Fig. 10); merus of 3rd pereopod long, length 3 or more times dorsoventral height (Fig. 8i) S. papposus n.sp.

7. Ambulatory legs with numerous long bristle-like setae dorsally on four distal segments (Fig. lSd-f); dorsal surfaces of chelae with numerous long bristle-like setae in addition to dense mat of short plumose setae ( Fig. 14b,c ) ................................................................s. villosus n.sp.

-- Ambulatory legs with few scattered short setae dorsally on four distal segments (Fig. 8g-i); dorsal surfaces of chelae lacking bristle-like setae, with only dense mat of short plumose setae (Fig. 3d)............................................................................................................ S. papposus n.sp.

Figures

Fig. 14. Right chelipeds: a, Sympagurus soela n.sp. (2.5x). b,c, S. villosus n.sp.: b, carpus and chela, dorsal (2.8x); c, chela, mesial (2.5x). d,e, Paragiopagurus diogenes (Whitelegge, 1900): d, dorsal (2.7x); e, mesial (l.8 x).