Paguristes syrtensis de Saint Laurent, 1971 (Decapoda: Diogenidae) from the coastal waters of south western Sicily, Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Paguristes syrtensis de Saint Laurent, 1971 was rediscovered in a shallow-water Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile bed along the coast of SW Sicily. The colour pattern, which allows for easy distinction from the closely related Paguristes eremita (Linnaeus, 1767), remained in part after 15 months of fixation in 5% formalin and subsequently 10 months of preservation in 70% ethanol. Some morphological characters present in chelipeds, second pereiopods and first pleopods are reliable in distinguishing between the two species, whereas others present in antennal acicle, rostrum, and telson, cited by some authors as distinctive features were found to overlap in specimens of the two species from SW Sicily. The specimens examined were found in the ‘under-layer’ of a P. oceanica bed, but de Saint Laurent (1971) reported four specimens collected at a depth of 250 m. Thus, this species, though probably rare, seems to occupy a wide range of habitats.

Keywords :

• Decapoda
• Diogenidae
• Paguristes
• colour pattern
• Sicily
• Mediterranean