An annotated and illustrated checklist of hermit crabs (Anomura, Paguroidea) in the Canary Islands: a review of historical records and updated ecological data

Abstract

Hermit crabs from the Canary Islands have historically been documented through broader inventories or isolated records from research surveys. However, no comprehensive review has evaluated these historical records or updated the ecological information on this group. This study presents an annotated and illustrated checklist of hermit crabs in the Canary Islands, compiling and evaluating historical records and incorporating new information from recent studies, including unpublished data from surveys conducted in the archipelago. The present inventory includes 34 species, allowing for additions and deletions of species from previous compilations, confirmation of the presence of species previously considered probable, and an update of the published bibliography on the group in the region. Additional information on the ecology and bathymetric range is provided and updated according to the most recent knowledge, extending the known depth range for several species in the archipelago, particularly poorly known deep-water ones. The study also classifies each species into biogeographic patterns and provides common names in English and Canary Islands Spanish to popularize the species as a preliminary step towards their knowledge and conservation.