Pagurus is a genus of hermit crabs in the family Paguridae. Like other hermit crabs, their abdomen is not calcified and they use snail shells as protection. These marine decapod crustaceans are omnivorous, but mostly prey on small animals and scavenge carrion. Trigonocheirus and Pagurixus used to be considered subgenera of Pagurus, but the former is nowadays included in Orthopagurus, while the latter has been separated as a distinct genus.[3]

Pagurus
Black-eyed hermit crab, Pagurus armatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Anomura
Family: Paguridae
Genus: Pagurus
Fabricius, 1775 [1]
Type species
Cancer bernhardus

Species

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Some 170 species are presently placed in Pagurus; many others have been placed here at one time but are now assigned to other genera of Paguroidea. The following list is current as of June 2012:[3]

 
Pagurus anachoretus
 
Pagurus bernhardus
 
Long-armed hermit crab, Pagurus longicarpus
 
Hairy hermit crab, Pagurus hirsutiusculus, outside its shell – note the soft-shelled and curved abdomen (top of photo)

The following are all nomina nuda. They have never been validly described as new species, but only mentioned under these names:[3]

  • Pagurus bunomanus Glassell, 1937
  • Pagurus crenatus Hope, 1851
  • Pagurus cuanensis Thompson, 1844
  • Pagurus cultratus White, 1847
  • Pagurus hirtimanus White, 1847
  • Pagurus hyndmani Thompson, 1844
  • Pagurus laevis Thompson, 1844
  • Pagurus ulidiae Thompson, 1843

References

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  1. ^ Johan Christian Fabricius (1775). Systema Entomologiae, sistens Insectorum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, adjectis Sysnonymis, Locis, Descriptionibus, Observationibus (in Latin). Flensburg & Leipzig: Officina Libraria Kortii. pp. 1–832.
  2. ^ Patsy A. McLaughlin; Tomoyuki Komai; Rafael Lemaitre & Dwi Listyo Rahayu (2010). Martyn E. Y. Low & S. H. Tan (eds.). "Annotated checklist of anomuran decapod crustaceans of the world (exclusive of the Kiwaoidea and families Chirostylidae and Galatheidae of the Galatheoidea) Part I – Lithodoidea, Lomisoidea and Paguroidea" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Suppl. 23: 5–107. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-02.
  3. ^ a b c Michael Türkay (2010). Patsy McLaughlin (ed.). "Pagurus Fabricius, 1775". World Paguroidea database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved June 25, 2012.