Crustacean Crevice

We'll showcase a new crustacean monthly.

Hermit Crabs Hermit Crabs are a well known pet, but what do you really know about them? What kind of animal is a Hermit Crab?

Hermit Crabs are Crustaceans.

There are marine(lives in water) and land(lives on land) Hermit Crabs. Unlike most Crustaceans who have abdomens that are hard and calcified, Hermit Crabs have soft bodies. Their bodies often have a curved spiral shape. They protect their soft bodies with the shells they find and inhabit. These shells act as their protection and can be seashells of all different sizes and shapes. When the Hermit Crab grows too big for their shell they have to find bigger shells. Hermit crabs have even been known to use hollow wood and rocks as their shells. Perhaps those Crabs were into fashion, and wood or rock was the "in" material at the time. Or maybe they couldn't find any other seashells. What do you think? :) Actually Marine Hermit Crabs actually do decorate their shells sometimes with Sea Anemones. This works out for both the Hermit Crab and the Anemone, because the Anemone helps to ward off enemies for the Crab, and it also gets some of the Crab's dinner when it feeds.

If you want to read more, head on over to Hermit Crabs