Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Coenobita cavipes

Unga Pūtua (AK)

Brown Hermit-Landcrab

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Sorry, there are no multimedia or other resources available for this species yet.

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Brown Hermit-Landcrab

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Unga Pūtua (AT MK AK), Unga Pūtoa (MT), Unga Kelekele (TS), Unga Kerekere (TW), Unga? (RK), Unga Tupua [ID?] (PK)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, breed in ocean

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ? food

KEY FEATURES: Usually in Turban shells, but also in other large shells and even in the remains of a Hard Passionfruit. Uniformly dark brown, sometimes with pale patches on "thighs". Dorsal cheliped is smooth. Carapace is humped.

SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Coenobita spinosus.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++		^P			P?

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			Q++

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Coenobita cavipes Stimpson, 1858
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; CRUSTACEA; MALACOSTRACA; EUMALACOSTRACA; Eucarida; Decapoda; Reptantia; Anomura; Paguroidea; COENOBITIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: JU-108 - spinosus?cavipes check??. Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcCormack as Coenobita spinosa or Coenobita cavipes; Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as probably Coenobita cavipes.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List