(Figure 1)

Abbreviated synonymy (see Markham 2009, for complete synonymy before 2009).

Athelges takanoshimensis Ishii, 1914: 519–530, pl. 7 (type locality Takanoshima, Tokyo Bay, Japan; infesting Eupagurus geminatus McLaughlin). Markham 2009: 229–233, fig.5.

Material examined

Infesting Pagurus pectinatus (Stimpson). Bohai Sea, Stn 1098, 38 ◦ 40 ′ N, 121 ◦ 15 ′ E, 51.5 m, 17 July 1959, Chen coll., 1 ♀, CIEA109801, 1 ♂, CIEA109802. Yellow Sea, Stn 2023, 38 ◦ 40 ′ N, 121 ◦ 55 ′ E, 49 m, 13 July 1959, Jiang coll., 1 ♀, CIEA202301, 1 ♂, CIEA202302. Yellow Sea, Stn 2006, 38 ◦ 45 ′ N, 121 ◦ 45 ′ E, 51 m, 21 October 1959, Huang coll., 1 ♀, CIEA200601, 1 ♂, CIEA200602. Bohai Sea, Stn 1035, 39 ◦ 00 ′ N, 120 ◦ 50 ′ E, 52.5 m, 17 July 1959, Jiang coll., 1 ♀, CIEA103501, 1 ♂, CIEA103502. Yellow Sea, Stn 2023, 38 ◦ 40 ′ N, 121 ◦ 55 ′ E, 50 m, 21 October 1959, Jiang coll., 1 ♀, CIEA202303, 1 ♂, CIEA202304. Yellow Sea, Stn 2023, 38 ◦ 40 ′ N, 121 ◦ 55 ′ E, 50 m, 21 October 1959, Jiang coll., 1 ♀, CIEA202305.

Infesting Pagurus minutus Hess. Hong Kong, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, 22 ◦ 18 ′ 0.74 ′′ N, 114 ◦ 1 ′ 0.84 ′′ E, 9 June 2001, J. Williams coll., 10 ♀, 10 ♂, USNM1155301.

Remarks

This species has been reported several times from Hong Kong (Markham 1982, 1990; 1992), Zhejiang (Wei 1991), Taiwan (Boyko 2004), Korea (Kim and Kwon 1988b), Singapore (Markham 2009) and Japan (Ishii 1914; Shiino 1934, 1936) and the present specimens closely match those described previously (Figure 1). However, the maxilliped of the specimens from China lacks a palp (Figure 1E) and in this character more closely resembles Markham’s (1982) description based on Hong Kong specimens.

Prevalence

In total, 5.5% (87 of 1571) of hermit crabs collected from Hong Kong between 2001 and 2004 were parasitized by A. takanoshimensis. In this region, the parasite was only recorded from Pagurus minutus. The reproduction and ecology of A. takanoshimensis from Hong Kong is the subject of a separate paper (Williams, in preparation).

Range and hosts

Japan: on Pagurus dubius (Ortmann) (Saito et al. 2000), Pagurus maculosus Komai and Imafuku (Nagasawa et al. 1996), Pagurus japonicus (Stimpson) (Shiino 1934), Pagurus pectinatus (Stimpson) (Shiino 1937) and Pagurus samuelis (Stimpson) (Ishii 1914) (P. samuelis is a synonym of Eupagurus geminatus); Zhejiang, China: on Pagurus sp. (Wei 1991); Bohai Sea, China: on Pagurus pectinatus (herein); Hong Kong: on Clibanarius sp., Diogenes edwardsii (De Haan), Diogenes sp., Pagurus aff. geminatus McLaughlin, Pagurus trigonocheirus (Stimpson) (Markham 1982) and Pagurus minutus (herein); Korea: on Pagurus brachiomastus (Thallwitz), Pagurus dubius, Pagurus filholi (de Man), Pagurus middendorffii Brandt, and Pagurus pectinatus (Kim and Kwon 1988b); Taiwan: on Pagurodofleinia doederleini (Doflein) (Boyko 2004); Singapore: on Diogenes pallescens Whitelegge (Markham 2009).