Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab

• Features

  The most distinctive feature of a hermit crab is that it gets protection from empty seashells. Its abdomen is soft and asymmetrically dextral (adapting to the dextral shell). The hook of the hermit crab's abdomen tip can clasp strongly onto the columella of the shell to protect its vulnerable body from predators. When it retracts, it uses its claws to block the entrance to protect its soft body. As the hermit crab grows, it requires a larger shell, which results in rather unique behavior.

• Habitat

  Most hermit crabs live in saltwater, ranging from the intertidal zone to the bottom of the deep sea, depending on their species. Only a few are land hermit crabs, which stay mostly on damp land not far away from the shoreline. The tropical land hermit crab can be found 1 kilometer inland amidst a coral reef valley.

• Distribution

  Hermit crabs can be found in most climatic zones from tropical to temperate while land hermit crabs are mainly seen in tropical areas.

• Habits

  Most hermit crabs live in the sea, and some breed on land near shorelines. A few have evolved exoskeletons like other crabs and don’t need shells to protect them after they become mature. One common example is the coconut crab. Most hermit crabs are nocturnal.

• Diet

  Hermit crabs are omnivorous and known as the scavengers of the ocean. They can feed on algae, leaves, organic debris and even waste. They play a significant ecological role in maintaining the environmental balance of the ocean and intertidal zones.