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Pagurus capillatus (Benedict, 1892)
Fuzzy Hermit Crab
Family: Paguridae

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

Photograph

© Aaron Baldwin     (Photo ID #2197)

Map

E-Fauna BC Static Map

Distribution of Pagurus capillatus in British Columbia in British Columbia

Species Information

Carapace: shield nearly as broad as long. Eyestalk slender and long; cornea slightly dilated. Surface spines on chelipeds are hidden by a dense covering of long, soft plumose setae; merus with a few small spines and tufts of long setae, distal margin with numerous small teeth; carpus setose with inner margin serrated with larger spines than those scattered over dorsal surface and outer margin; palm and fingers with setae covering many rows of spines. Hand of adult male proportionately longer than that of female. Left cheliped relatively small and slender with long fingers. 1st and 2nd walking legs slender and setose, with carpi, of 1st legs only, serrate on dorsal margins; dactyl long and slender, with minute movable spines on ventral margin; claw stout.

Size

Shield length: male 19.8 mm.

Colour

Carapace: shield cream with mottled red, brown, green, and cream mid-dorsally and laterally; posterior pink and brown. Abdomen pale pink with brown spots. Chelipeds: merus white with irregular bands of rose and brown; carpus white with apricot spines, brown and red mottled; hand light brown and fingers with apricot tips. Walking legs: ischium pink, red and yellow splotched merus irregularly banded in red and brown; carpus and propodus each with two bands; dactyl greenish yellow. Eyestalk with a rose stripe on outer face and brown on inner; cornea black with gold flecks. Antennal flagellum translucent. Colour patterns difficult to see due to adherence of mud particles to the plumose setae.

Habitat


Muddy areas.

Distribution

Range

Northwestern Pacific, Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea to off Santa Cruz, California; from 4 to 439 m.
Distribution In British Columbia

Common on muddy bottoms.

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