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Elassochirus tenuimanus (Dana, 1851)
Widehanded Hermit Crab
Family: Paguridae

Species account author: Josephine Hart.
Extracted from Crabs and their relatives of British Columbia.

Photograph

© Aaron Baldwin     (Photo ID #16374)

Map

E-Fauna BC Static Map

Distribution of Elassochirus tenuimanus in British Columbia in British Columbia

Species Information

Carapace: shield subequal in length and width. Eyestalk stout; cornea dilated. Right cheliped longer than walking legs; surface with numerous granules of varying sizes and margins with larger granules or teeth; merus short, triangular; carpus wide and slightly convex and palm even wider than carpus, with compressed dorso-ventral area with the upper margin of palm making a curved protuberance; fixed finger short and wide at base and finger longer and narrower with strong calcareous teeth. Left cheliped slender and much smaller than right, with fewer granules and teeth; hand with dorsal surface slightly convex with elevated beaded margins on palm and fixed finger; finger with a cutting edge of a tight row of short, stout, corneous setae. 1st and 2nd walking legs short and stout, with dorsal ridge of carpus and propodus serrate; dactyl with corneous spines and a stout claw.

Size

Shield length: male 23.4 mm.

Colour

Shield marbled with white and brown, the rest of the carapace with red, white and yellow. Right cheliped: ischium white with orange patches; merus with orange and greenish brown and 2 cobalt-blue patches, and an orange and yellow band distally and white marginal teeth; carpus greenish brown with white, orange-ringed, granules; hand light brown with light red streaks and white teeth. Left cheliped similar. 1st and 2nd walking legs: ischium orange and yellow; merus yellow with an orange streak dorsally, a large, cobalt-blue patch on each face, orange distally with red and white spines; carpus with 3 dark red stripes dorsally, a white stripe medially and yellow ventrally; propodus with 2 red stripes composed of a row of red spots, opaque white patch medially; dactyl cream with rows of dark red spots. Eyestalk; orange brown bands; cornea grey-green. Antennal flagellum orange to red-brown.

Habitat


Mud, sand, gravel, shell or mixture of these.

Distribution

Range

Northwestern Pacific Ocean, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, to Puget Sound, Washington; intertidal to 388 m.
Distribution In British Columbia

Common in suitable habitat.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)
COSEWIC
UnlistedUnlistedUnlistedUnlisted



BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Bernhardus tenuimanus Dana, 1851
Eupagurus tenuimanus (Dana, 1851)
Pagurus tenuimanus (Dana. 1851)

General References