Hermit crabs are anomuran decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea that have adapted to occupy empty scavenged mollusc shells to protect their fragile exoskeletons. There are over 800 species of hermit crab, most of which possess an asymmetric abdomen concealed by a snug-fitting shell. Hermit crabs' soft (non-calcified) abdominal exoskeleton means they must occupy shelter produced by other organisms or risk being defenseless.
The halloween hermit crab, also known as the striped hermit crab or orange-legged hermit crab, is a brightly colored aquatic hermit crab of the family Diogenidae. Besides its ability to routinely clean algae in aquaria, the halloween hermit crab's festive striped coloration also appeals to enthusiasts; it is considered the most brightly colored hermit crab in normal aquarium use.
The Paguridae are a family of hermit crabs of the order Decapoda. The king crabs, Lithodoidea, are now widely understood to be derived from deep within the Paguridae, with some authors placing their ancestors within the genus Pagurus.
Calcinus elegans, also known as the blue line hermit crab, is a small, tropical hermit crab.
Pagurus armatus, the armed hermit crab or black-eyed hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab found in the eastern Pacific Ocean of the United States and British Columbia, Canada.
The Pylochelidae are a family of hermit crabs. Its members are commonly called the 'symmetrical hermit crabs'. They live in all the world's oceans, except the Arctic and the Antarctic, at depths of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Due to their cryptic nature and relative scarcity, only around 60 specimens had been collected before 1987, when a monograph was published detailing a further 400.
Diogenes is a genus of hermit crabs.
Dardanus pedunculatus, commonly referred to as the anemone hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab from the Indo-Pacific region. It lives at depths of up to 27 m and collects sea anemones to place on its shell for defence.
Clibanarius fonticola is a species of hermit crab from Vanuatu. It lives exclusively in fresh water, the only hermit crab in the world to do so. While a number of other hermit crabs are terrestrial or live in estuarine habitats, and certain brackish water species can tolerate low salinity levels for a time, no other hermit crab spends its entire life in fresh water; the only other fully freshwater anomurans are the South American aeglids.
Pagurus sinuatus is a large species of hermit crab found in Australia and the Kermadec Islands. It is red or orange in colour with coloured bands on the legs and patches on the body.
Ciliopagurus is a genus of hermit crabs, of the family Diogenidae, which are sometimes referred to as the "left-handed hermit crabs", because in contrast to most other hermit crabs, the left chela (claw) is enlarged instead of the right. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Ciliopagurus galzini is a species of hermit crab. It is one of four species in the "strigatus complex"; it resembles C. strigatus, with the most prominent difference being coloration. It is common in the shallow intertidal waters of the Tuamotus.
Ciliopagurus substriatiformis was a species of hermit crab that existed during the Badenian stage.
Ciliopagurus vakovako is a species of hermit crab native to the Marquesas Islands. It is typically found at a depth no lower than 57 metres (187 ft). C. vakovako appears to be a vicariant of C. strigatus, a species widespread throughout the Indo-pacific region.
Pagurus samuelis, the blueband hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab from the west coast of North America, and the most common hermit crab in California. It is a small species, with distinctive blue bands on its legs. It prefers to live in the shell of the black turban snail, and is a nocturnal scavenger of algae and carrion.
Calcinus tubularis is a species of hermit crab. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and around islands in the Atlantic Ocean, where it lives below the intertidal zone. Its carapace, eyestalks and claws are marked with numerous red spots. C. tubularis and its sister species, C. verrilli, are the only hermit crabs known to show sexual dimorphism in shell choice, with males using normal marine gastropod shells, while females use shells of gastropods in the family Vermetidae, which are attached to rocks or other hard substrates.
Diogenes heteropsammicola is a species of hermit crab discovered during samplings between 2012 and 2016 in the shallow waters of the Japanese Amami Islands. This D. heteropsammicola is strongly associated with the walking corals. This hermit crab species is unique due to the discovery that they use living, growing coral as a shell. The live in the inside of the coral and vary from other types of hermits. Crustaceans of this type commonly replace their shell as the organism grows in size, but D. heteropsammicola are the first of their kind to use solitary corals as a shell form. Heteropsammia and Heterocyathus are the two solitary corals that this hermit species has been observed as occupying. These two coral species are also used as a home by symbiotic Sipuncula of the genus Aspidosiphon, which normally occupy the corals that were previously occupied by crabs.
Pagurus forbesii is a species of hermit crab in the family Paguridae. It is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Calcinus morgani, commonly known as Morgan's hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae found in the Indo-West Pacific region, the type locality being Indonesia.
Aniculus hopperae, also known as reticulated Hawaiian hermit, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae from the Pacific Ocean. The specific name hopperae honors Carol N. Hopper from Waikīkī Aquarium.
