Vol. 62, 2023
(update: 2023.9.7)
Morphological and Molecular
Evidence for the Identity of Two Land Hermit Crabs Coenobita longitarsis De Man, 1902
and C. pseudorugosus Nakasone,
1988 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Coenobitidae)
Hsi-Te
Shih1,*,§ , Kai Chang1,§ , Félix Adhi Pramono2,
and Maria Celia (Machel) D. Malay3
doi:-
1Department
of Life Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
*Correspondence: E-mail: htshih@dragon.nchu.edu.tw (Shih)
E-mail: chang.coconut851002@gmail.com (Chang)
2Jalan Kacang Polong I #29, Bojong Indah, Rawabuaya -
Cengkareng, Jakarta Barat, 11740, Republic of Indonesia. E-mail:
felixjw@hotmail.com (Pramono)
3Division of Biological Sciences, University of the
Philippines Visayas, Miag-ao, Iloilo 5023, Philippines. E-mail:
machel.malay@gmail.com (Malay)
§HTS and KC contributed
equally to this paper.
(Received 2022 / Accepted 2023 / Published -- 2023)
Communicated by Benny K.K. Chan
Two species of land hermit crabs, Coenobita longitarsis De Man, 1902
and C. pseudorugosus
Nakasone, 1988 were described based on female specimens from Maluku,
Indonesia and specimens from Cebu, the Philippines, respectively.
However no confirmed records of either species have been reported since
their original description. In this study, we examined specimens with
typical morphological characters of C.
longitarsis from Papua New Guinea and C. pseudorugosus from the
Philippines and Indonesia, further supported by the analyses of the DNA
barcoding marker, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). The characters of male C. longitarsis is provided for the
first time, with coxae of male fifth pereiopods subequal, without
sexual tubes developed. Its slender morphology is suggested to be an
adaption to utilize native terrestrial snail shells in inland forests,
which may also explain its rarity. Coenobita
pseudorugosus is very similar to C. rugosus, but can be
distinguished by the adult sizes, as well as the morphology of sexual
tubes of male fifth pereiopods and propodus of left third pereiopod.
Morphological variation and the fresh coloration of C. longitarsis and C. pseudorugosus are also provided
in this study.
Key words: Taxonomy, Coenobita longitarsis, C. pseudorugosus, morphology, COI
Citation: Shih HT, Chang K, Pramono FA,
Malay MCD. 2023. Morphological and molecular evidence for the identity
of two land hermit crabs Coenobita
longitarsis De Man, 1902 and
C. pseudorugosus Nakasone, 1988 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura:
Coenobitidae). Zool Stud 62:52.

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