2006 Volume Special2006 Issue 6 Pages 33-43
Material belonging to three species of hermit crabs [Paguristes bakeri Holmes, 1900, Pagurus gladius (Benedict, 1892), and Pagurus smithi (Benedict, 1892)] was collected during a series of research cruises along the Pacific coast of Mexico. In many cases, environmental conditions (i.e., depth, substrate, epibenthic water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration) were measured. The geographic distribution of these species is reviewed, new sampling localities are provided (8 for Pgsts. bakeri; 10 for Pg. gladius; 4 for Pg. smithi), and the aboudance of the species is analyzed in relation to these environmental conditions. There is a clear tendency for Pg. gladius to occur on sediments with a larger sand component and in higher dissolved oxygen concentration than in the case of the two other species. Temperature gradient does not appear as a factor influencing the abundance of any of the three species studied, while depth seems to act as a segregation factor.
