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A hermit crab emerges from its shell, Coenobita perlatus Outside its shell, the soft, curved abdomen of hermit crabs, such as Pagurus bernhardus, is vulnerable. Hermit crab species range in size and shape, from species only a few millimeters long to Coenobita brevimanus (Indos Crab), which can approach the size of a coconut and live 12–70 years.
A Caribbean hermit crab in the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the soldier crab, [2] West Atlantic crab, tree crab, or purple pincher (due to the distinctive purple claw), is a species of land hermit crab native to the west Atlantic, Belize, southern Florida, [3] Venezuela, and the West Indies.
The coconut crab is the only species of the genus Birgus, and is related to the other terrestrial hermit crabs of the genus Coenobita. It shows a number of adaptations to life on land. Juvenile coconut crabs use empty gastropod shells for protection like other hermit crabs, but the adults develop a tough exoskeleton on their abdomens and stop ...
Hermit crabs cannot produce their own shells, and therefore must scavenge for abandoned ones. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] Shell selection plays many crucial roles in P. longicarpus , such as providing protection from predators, desiccation and salinity stress, as well as influencing competition, population size, and reproductive behaviors in the species.
While typically reclusive, hermit crabs will on occasion forge a relationship with other marine organisms. Some cnidarians use the hard surface of hermit crab shells to settle and grow polyps . The cnidaria aid in defending the crab from predators using their stinging cnidae and may reduce the need for frequent shell exchange.
The Australian land hermit crab (Coenobita variabilis) reaches a carapace length of 40 millimetres (1.6 in). [2]They closely resemble the Pacific hermit crab (Coenobita compressus) in appearance and they both have a shortened aquatic development stage.
This purple hermit crab is using a soup can as a shell because there were no large snail shells left in the area, probably due to collection for the souvenir market. C. brevimanus larvae are brooded inside the female's shell, then laid in seawater. This is the only time the adult C. brevimanus returns to the water after they reach adulthood ...
The thinstripe hermit crab, Clibanarius vittatus, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the ...