Calcinus latens

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Calcinus latens
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Anomura
Family: Diogenidae
Genus: Calcinus
Species:
C. latens
Binomial name
Calcinus latens
(Randall, 1840)

Calcinus latens, the hidden hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae. [1]

Contents

Description

Calcinus latens is a small hermit crab, ranging in shell size from 2 to 7 mm (0.08 to 0.28 in) long, distinguished by olive green bodies, dark-tipped legs, and varying-sized claws, with the left being larger than the right. [2] There is significant sexual dimorphism within the species, with males and intersex hermit crabs typically larger in size than females. [3] Reef ecosystems can provide little visibility, so the C. latens relies on chemosensory structures to explore, protect, and hide in its environment. [4] Even with certain chemosensory abilities in its environment, the C. latens will frequently lose in competition for shells with another species in the same genus, Calcinus laevimanus. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Calcinus latens is a common hermit crab species distributed throughout the tropical Indo Pacific region, including areas such as Australia, Japan, the Eastern Coast of Africa, and Hawai'i. [2] It inhabits coral reefs, hiding under rocks and rubble in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, at depths up to 5 m (16 ft). [2] [6]

References

  1. De Grave, Sammy (2021). "Calcinus latens (Randall, 1840)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Calcinus latens | Sachiko Suzuki". www.gbri.org.au. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  3. A. H., Obuid-Allah; K. F., Abd El-Wakeil; M. A. M., Al-Hammady; E. S. A., Said (2019-05-18). "Ecological studies on the hermit crab Calcinus latens (Paguroidea: Diogenidae), from Aqaba Gulf, Egypt; Part (II), some morphological aspects of intersexuality phenomenon". Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries. 23 (2): 397–409. doi:10.21608/ejabf.2019.32245. ISSN   2536-9814.
  4. Iglesias, Ilysa S. (2007-12-01). "Chemically stimulated behavior of the Hermit Crab Calcinus latens (Randall 1840) and the role of chemical signaling as a mode of sensory perception within the coral rubble habitat of Moorea, French Polynesia". Student Research Papers, Fall 2007.
  5. Hazlett, Brian A. (October 1970). "Interspecific Shell Fighting in Three Sympatric Species of Hermit Crabs in Hawaii". Pacific Science. 24 (4): 472–482. hdl:10125/6125. ISSN   0030-8870.
  6. Shih, Hsi-Te; Mok, Hin-Kiu (2000). "Utilization of Shell Resources by the Hermit Crabs Calcinus latens and Calcinus gaimardii at Kenting, Southern Taiwan". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 20 (4): 786–795. Bibcode:2000JCBio..20..786M. doi:10.1163/20021975-99990100. ISSN   0278-0372. JSTOR   1549220.