Petrochirus diogenes | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Anomura |
Family: | Diogenidae |
Genus: | Petrochirus |
Species: | P. diogenes |
Binomial name | |
Petrochirus diogenes |
The giant hermit crab [1] (Petrochirus diogenes) is a species of marine hermit crab. This species lives in the Caribbean Sea, and often inhabits conch shells. [2] This species of hermit crab is large enough that it can inhabit a fully grown shell of the queen conch. It will attack and eat a conch, thus obtaining a meal and a shell. [3] It was originally described by Carl Linnaeus as Cancer diogenes; [4] the specific epithet honours Diogenes of Sinope. [5]