Pagurus sinuatus
Species of crustacean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pagurus sinuatus is a large species of hermit crab found in Australia and the Kermadec Islands. It is red or orange in colour with coloured bands on the legs and patches on the body.
| Pagurus sinuatus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Anomura |
| Family: | Paguridae |
| Genus: | Pagurus |
| Species: | P. sinuatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pagurus sinuatus (Stimpson, 1858) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
|
Eupagurus sinuatus Stimpson, 1858 | |
Description
Pagurus sinuatus is a large species of hermit crab, and normally inhabits rounded gastropod shells. It is distinguished from other hermit crab species in Australia by its solid, hairy chelipeds (claw-bearing appendages), although there may be further undescribed species within its range.[2] The hermit crab's body is orange and red, with patches of red or violet colour. The pereiopods (walking legs) are banded.[2] It reaches a maximum "shield length" (distance from the rostrum to the cervical groove on the carapace) of 14.5 millimetres (0.57 in).[3]
Distribution
Pagurus sinuatus is found in the intertidal zone along the coasts of the Australian states of New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia,[3] and in the Kermadec Islands (New Zealand).[4]
