Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Crustaceans

Stridulating Hermit Crab Strigopagurus elongatus

Most hermit crabs protect their soft abdomens by living in the empty shells of whelks and other marine snails. When the crab grows too big for one shell, it simply moves into a larger one. Some crabs live in coral tubes or hollow pieces of wood instead of shells. The crab's bright dots provide camouflage in the colorful coral reef. Like all crabs, the hermit crab has ten legs. It uses its huge claw for fighting, catching food, and protecting its shell from attackers. Some hermit crabs provide a kind of mobile home for as many as ten anemones, which attach themselves to the shells. The anemones feed on the crab's leftovers, while the crab is protected from predators by the anemones' poisonous tentacles.

~A Swim through the Sea © 1994