Pagurus provenzanoi Forest & Saint Laurent, 1968

Nucci, Paulo Ricardo & Melo, Gustavo Augusto Schmidt De, 2007, Hermit crabs from Brazil. Family Paguridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguroidea): Genus Pagurus, Zootaxa 1406, pp. 47-59 : 57

Pagurus provenzanoi Forest & Saint Laurent, 1968

(Figs. 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H)

Pagurus provenzanoi Forest & Saint Laurent, 1968: 118 , figs 72–77, 93, 94.— Fausto-Filho, 1970b: 71; 1974: 10.— Coelho, 1971: 232.— Coelho & Ramos, 1972: 164.— Scelzo & Boschi, 1973: 214.— McLaughlin, 1974: 41; 1975: 371.— Markham, 1975: 256; 1978: 103.— Sánchez & Campos, 1978: 44, figs 14, 15.— Lemaitre et al., 1982: 672.— Coelho & Ramos-Porto, 1986: 40.— Rieger, 1998: 415.— Melo, 1999: 136, fig. 80.

Diagnosis. Shield slightly longer than broad. Rostrum triangular, obtuse or rounded, without terminal spine. Ocular peduncles long, with corneae and bases slightly dilated; ocular acicles each with 5 or 6 denticules. Antennular peduncles overreaching corneae by 1/4 length of last segment. Antennal peduncles as long as ocular peduncles. Right cheliped larger than left; palm twice longer than broad, with longitudinal row of acute tubercles; fingers as long as palm; dorsal margin of merus with one distal tooth; carpus with row of spines on dorsomesial margin and several spines and spinules in dorsolateral region; chela covered by dense short setae; dactyl with row of small spines on dorsomesial margin and dorsal midline, also covered by dense setae. Left cheliped with acute spines on each ventral margin of merus; dorsolateral and dorsomesial margins of carpus with row of strong spines; dorsomesial margin of dactyl with row of small spinules and with row of small spines in dorsal midline. Second and third pereopods with dactyls shorter than propodi, each terminating in strong corneous claw, ventral margins each with row of strong corneous spines; propodi unarmed; carpi each with marginal spine dorsodistally. Exopodite of left uropod with ribbon-shaped row of long setae. Distal margins of telson with several strong spines, and lateral margins with corneous spinules or denticles.

Distribution. Western Atlantic - Bermudas, Florida, Antilles, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil (Fernando de Noronha and from Pernambuco to Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay.

Habitat. On several kinds of substrate, including coralline formations, from shallow waters to about 100 metres depth.

Material examined. Brazil: Alagoas — Ponta Verde, 2 males: 1.5, 1.2 mm ( MZUSP –13897). Espírito Santo — Vitória, Ilha Galheta, 1 female: 2.6 mm ( MZUSP –12912). Santa Catarina — Porto Belo, 1 males: 2.2 mm ( MZUSP –13808).

Remarks. Pagurus provenzanoi can be distinguished from its congeners in Brazil by its short setae that form a dense covering on the dorsal faces of the chelipeds.