Decapoda - Anomura - Coenobitidae - Birgus
| Birgus latro (Linnaeus, 1767) |
World Distribution
Indo-Ouest Pacifique. ?Afrique orientale, ?Madagascar, Juan de Nova, Glorieuses, Seychelles, Chagos, Christmas, Loyauté, Salomon, Fidji, Wallis & Futuna, Polynésie française.
Environnement : Land - Substrat/Association : Hard bottom (rock and rubbles)
Vertical range : Land & Freshwater - Min-Max observed: 0-5 m
Mayotte data
Birgus latro - Coppinger, 1884: 237-238 (‘Du Lise Island’, Glorieuses, H.M.S. Alert Expedition). - Miers, 1884: 555 (same specimen, Glorieuses, coll. H.M.S. Alert, one adult female in the British Museum collections). - Fourmanoir, 1953: 243, La Naturaliste Malgache (Anjouan sous le nom de 'Chendea', Grande Comore, appelé 'Touhouzou' terme moins précis appliqué à tous les Coenobitidae). - Jean Hivert and Erwan Lagadec. field observation, April 2011 (Glorieuses and also Juan de Nova in the Mozambique channel). - Expedition Glorieuses December 2012, st. coconut grove at night. - Expedition Juan de Nova December 2013, land, st0, photo Patrice Got, 1 sp. dead in village area (com. gendarme, mail 25/12/2013) (nr).
Birgus latro - Mohéli, February 2016, Nioumachoi, near Laka Lodge, field observation and photos, Richard Krebs and Yaseb, captured in forest at night (2 a.m.). According to local people the coconut crab is mostly in the forest at night and therefore rarely reported (com. pers. R. Krebs, Feb. 2016).
Mayotte, islet Mtsamboro, January 9, 2022, photo Augustin Bussac, transmitted by A. Baglan.
New Caledonia data
Birgus latro - Juncker & Poupin, 2009: 47, CRISP Report - Profondeur : terrestre / Source : cette compilation, avec photo et récoltes à Lifou. Egalement dans Laboute & Richer de Forges, 2004 - Lagons et récifs de Nouvelle-Calédonie
Central Pacific data (Wallis & Futuna, Polynesia, Clipperton, Easter Island)
WALLIS & FUTUNA - Birgus latro - Poupin & Juncker, in preparation (Alofi, Futuna, Wallis). - FRENCH POLYNESIA - Birgus latro - Dana, 1852b: 474; 1855, pl. 30, fig. 5a-b (several islands in the Tuamotu; drawing of a specimen from "Honden" = Pukapuka). - Nobili, 1907: 375 (Amanu). - Seurat, 1904a: 242 (Marutea South, Temoe, "Moture-vavao" = Matureivavao); 1934: 51 (French Polynesia). - Sendler, 1923: 44 (Makatea). - Holthuis, 1953: 36 (Raroia). - Morrison, 1954: 10 (Raroia). - Forest, 1954a: 79; 1956a: 1073 (Niau). - Chabouis L. & F., 1954: 92, unnumbered fig. (Makatea). - Monteforte, 1984: 172, annex 1, tab. a (Makatea, Takapoto). - Delesalle, 1985: 288 (Mataiva). - Charleux, 1986: 80, photograph (French Polynesia). - Salvat & Richard, 1985: 356 (Takapoto). - Salvat, 1986b: 71; 1986c: 8-9, photograph (French Polynesia). - Bonvallot et al., 1994: 76, photograph (Tuamotu). - Poupin, 1994a: 10, fig. 6, pl. 1h (Taiaro); 1996a: 11, 80, 81 (Checklist with a new record at Morane). - Chauvet & Kadiri-Jan, 1999: 297 (Taiaro; Ecology). - Salvat & Bacchet, 2011: 240, photo, field guide 'Au Vent des Iles Ed. Tahiti - French Polynesia, most often Society (Moorea, Tahiti).
Remark: Gibson-Hill (1948: 10) mentions this species from the Marquesas, but it is doubtful that it really occurs in these islands", where we have made several unsuccessful investigations. Adamson (1935: 18) also mentions "Residents in the Islands assured us that it does not occur here."
Comment(s) on data
Comoros (Anjouan, Mohéli, Grande Comores) in Fourmanoir (1953, le naturaliste Malgache). The species was considered as possibly extinct in these Islands (Poupin et al., 2013, Marine Biodiversity Records: 6), but a recent report in Mohéli (com. pers. and photos R. Krebs, Feb. 2016) indicate that it still can be found sporadically there in forest at night.
References : PDF list, 214 pp (1.4 Mo)This species in Worms Database