Comparative transcriptome analysis of Pagurus lanuginosus and Pagurus maculosus, with special reference to pigment-related genes in marine crustaceans

Animal pigment pattern has important roles in intraspecific communication, such as species recognition, mate choice and dominance. It is also important in interspecific communication with predators or prey, including warning coloration, mimicry and camouflage. Therefore, pigment pattern serves as an excellent model for the study of morphological trait evolution in animals. We generated a compressive transcriptome of the head and leg tissues of two intertidal hermit crabs species in the western Pacific coast, Japan, Pagurus lanuginosus and Pagurus maculosus and mined it for novel pigment related transcripts.