E-Fauna BC Home

Pagurus beringanus (Benedict, 1892)
Bering Hermit Crab
Family: Paguridae

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

Photograph

© Aaron Baldwin     (Photo ID #2152)

Map

E-Fauna BC Static Map

Distribution of Pagurus beringanus in British Columbia in British Columbia

Species Information

Carapace: shield subequal in length and width. Eyestalk long and slender. Right cheliped long and stout, slightly shorter than walking legs; merus with upper surface convex, some linear striations, large distal marginal teeth dorsally and 2 large knobs ventrally; carpus long, convex with rows of large granules and spines; hand convex with ridges and many granules, spines and serrate margins. Left cheliped much smaller. 1st and 2nd walking legs stout and setose; merus laterally compressed.

Size

Shield length: male 15.5 mm.

Colour

Carapace: shield pale grey with marbling of dark grey, red yellow and tan with red dots and front margins scarlet; posterior carapace and abdomen marbled with grey, brown and purple, red and white dots. Chelipeds: ischium white and orange; merus greenish brown, with red striae and a scarlet band on distal margin, ventrally white, blue and yellow with orange knobs; carpus greenish-brown with orange spines and tubercles; hand greenish-brown fading to white on fingers, sharp granules with white tips, scarlet at base and tips of fingers with corneous tips brown and teeth white. 1st and 2nd walking legs: ischium grey with red and opaque white patches; merus pale greenish brown with red spots and distal bands of red and scarlet; carpus and propodus grey green to white with dark red spots, scarlet patch terminally on propodus; dactyl with 2 dark red bands separated by white, with red dots; claw dark . Eyestalk translucent with red laterally. Juveniles and small individuals not as highly coloured as adults with white, pale green, and grey and orange granules and red or yellow bands on merus of chelipeds and on propodus of walking legs.

Habitat


In rocky areas intertidally where water is cold and, subtidally, where temperatures are higher. Prefers a large, heavy shell within which the animal can withdraw completely. Tends to congregate in large numbers in shaded rock crevices at low tide.

Distribution

Range

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska, to Monterey, California; intertidal to 364 m.
Distribution In British Columbia

Common intertidally in cold-water areas such as the Juan de Fuca Strait, but not so in the warmer waters of the Strait of Georgia.

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.

General References