Hermit crabs are, other than one might think, not
closely related to true crabs, although they’re both crustaceans. Hermit crabs have soft abdomens that they protect by carrying it in an empty
shell. In case of emergency, the whole body will retract in it. There are over 800 species of marine hermit crabs.
As a hermit crab becomes bigger, it outgrows its shell and changes to another. A special member of the hermit crabs is the
Anemone carrier. It places anemones on it’s shell for camouflage and extra protection. When the Anemone carrier changes to a bigger shell, it
takes it’s anemones from the old shell and places it on the new shell.
Some hermit crabs use ‘synchronous vacancy chains’. Hermit crabs of various sizes line up after the one finding a suitable,
bigger, shell. When the biggest crab changes shell, the others will follow in seconds. The actual lining up however may take hours. Another
thing that occurs is that a hermit crab, finding a shell that’s to large, stays with it in the hope an intermediate size will come by.
Vacancy chains are also seen with terrestrial hermit crabs.
Diogenidae
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Aniculus aniculus
?
Bangka, Indonesia 2017 house reef Mimpi Indah (night dive)
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Aniculus maximus
Yellow hairy hermit crab
Halmahera, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Tidore, west side
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Calcinus gaimardii
Gaimard's hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: Amed, Drop off
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Calcinus haigae
Haig's hermit crab
Marsa alam, Egypt 2012 Dive site: house reef Oasis (night dive)
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Calcinus latens
Hidden hermit
Marsa alam, Egypt 2012 Dive site: Gabal del Rosas
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Calcinus lineapropodus
?
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Bangug 3 (night dive)
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Calcinus lineapropodus
?
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Bangug 3 (night dive)
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Calcinus minutus
Small white hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2008 Dive site: Magic rock
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Calcinus minutus
Small white hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: Amed, Pyramids
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Calcinus minutus
Small white hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: Dolphin house
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Calcinus minutus
Small white hermit crab
Halmahera, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Airstrip (night dive)
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Calcinus pulcher
?
Bali, Indonesia 2009 Dive site: Tulamben, Coral garden
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maybe Calcinus sp.
?
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Bonbon broken coconut (night dive)
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maybe Calcinus sp.
?
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Bangug 3 (night dive)
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Ciliopagurus strigatus
Halloween hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Hairball II
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Ciliopagurus strigatus
Halloween hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: house reef Kubu Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus deformis
Pale anemone hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 house reef Magic Island Dive R. (night dive)
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Dardanus deformis
Pale anemone hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: Goby point (night dive)
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Dardanus deformis
juvenile Pale anemone hermit crab
Raja ampat, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: house reef Sorido (night dive)
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Dardanus gemmatus
Jewelled anemone hermit
Bali, Indonesia 2016 Dive site: Puri jati
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Dardanus guttatus
Blue-spotted hermit crab
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
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Dardanus guttatus
Blue-spotted hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: house reef Kubu Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus guttatus
Blue-spotted hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: house reef Kubu Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus guttatus
Blue-spotted hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Tanjung lampu (night dive)
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Dardanus guttatus
Blue-spotted hermit crab
Bangka, Indonesia 2017 house reef Mimpi Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Cabilao, the Philippines 2005 Dive site: Southpoint
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Cabilao, the Philippines 2005 Dive site: Looc
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2007 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2008 Dive site: Jarijari (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
homeless Dark knee hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 house reef Divers Lodge Lembeh (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: house reef Kubu Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
homeless Dark knee hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: house reef Kubu Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: Sanctuary
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Negros, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: Masaplod north
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Police pier II
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Dardanus lagopodes
Dark knee hermit crab
Bangka, Indonesia 2017 house reef Mimpi Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2007 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab eating a bird
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Rhino
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Dardanus megistos
running White spotted hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Serena basar (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
running White spotted hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Jahir (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted (or Scarlet) hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Police pier
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: Banlot (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab
Halmahera, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Airstrip (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab
Halmahera, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Airstrip (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted hermit crab
Lembeh, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Nudi falls (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted (or Scarlet) hermit crab
Raja ampat, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Yenbuba jetty
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted (or Scarlet) hermit crab
Raja ampat, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: house reef Sorido (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted (or Scarlet) hermit crab
Anilao, the Philippines 2015 Dive site: Sea pipe (night dive)
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Dardanus megistos
White spotted (or Scarlet) hermit crab
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Bangug 3 (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Cabilao, the Philippines 2005 Dive site: Lighthouse
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Cabilao, Philippines 2005 Dive site: Lighthouse
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Cabilao, the Philippines 2005 Dive site: Lighthouse
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Cebu, Philippines 2007 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Lembeh, Indonesia 2008 Dive site: Jahir
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
juvenile Anemone carrier
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
juvenile Anemone carrier
Halmahera, Indonesia 2010 house reef Weda resort (night dive)
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Anemone carriers live in symbiosis with the anemone.
If the hermit crab moves to a bigger shell she takes the anemone with her.
With a combination of peeling the edges and tapping the anemone she convinces the anemone to let go.
Then she places it on her new shell.
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Halmahera, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: New Jetty (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Hairball
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Lembeh, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Batu lubang (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Cebu, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: Goby point (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Marsa alam, Egypt 2012 Dive site: house reef Oasis (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Lembeh, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Nudi falls (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Anilao, the Philippines 2015 Dive site: Koala (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Agnay desert (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Bangug 3 (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carrier
Bangka, Indonesia 2017 house reef Mimpi Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus pedunculatus
Anemone carriers fighting over shell
Bangka, Indonesia 2017 house reef Mimpi Indah (night dive)
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Dardanus venosus
Stareye hermit
Caribbean, Bonaire 2013 Dive site: house reef Buddy (night dive)
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Dardanus venosus
Stareye hermit
Caribbean, Bonaire 2013 Dive site: house reef Buddy (night dive)
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Dardanus sp.
undetermined hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2016 Dive site: Amed, Ghost bay (night dive)
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Paguristes cadenati
Red reef hermit crab
Caribbean, Bonaire 2013 Dive site: Reef scientifico (night dive)
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Paguristes punticeps
White speckled hermit
Caribbean, Bonaire 2013 Dive site: Bari reef (night dive)
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Paguridae
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Pagurixus maorus
?
Halmahera, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: Airstrip (night dive)
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Pagurixus maorus
?
Halmahera, Indonesia 2010 house reef Weda resort (night dive)
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Pagurixus maorus
?
Bali, Indonesia 2011 Dive site: house reef Kubu Indah (night dive)
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Pagurus sp.
undetermined hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2007 house reef Magic Island (night dive)
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Pylopaguropsis fimbriata
?
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
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Pylopaguropsis fimbriata
?
Ambon, Indonesia 2010 house reef Maluku divers (night dive)
|
?
undetermined hermit crab
Marsa alam, Egypt 2012 Dive site: house reef Oasis (night dive)
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?
undetermined hermit crab
Raja ampat, Indonesia 2014 Dive site: house reef Sorido (night dive)
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?
undetermined hermit crab
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Bon bon (night dive)
|
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?
undetermined hermit crab
Negros, the Philippines 2012 Dive site: San Miguel (night dive)
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?
undetermined hermit crab
Anilao, the Philippines 2015 Dive site: Anilao pier (night dive)
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?
undetermined hermit crab
Romblon, the Philippines 2017 Dive site: Agnay desert (night dive)
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Paguridae (Coral hermit crabs)
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Paguritta harmsi
coral hermit crab
Halmahera, Indonesia 2010 Dive site: Shark reef
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Paguritta vittata
Striped coral hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2007 Dive site: Eyoy
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Paguritta vittata
Striped coral hermit crab
Cebu, the Philippines 2007 Dive site: Eyoy
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Paguritta vittata
Striped coral hermit crab
Bali, Indonesia 2016 Dive site: Tulamben, house reef Ocean view
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Paguritta sp.
undetermined coral hermit crab
Gili Islands, Lombok, Indonesia 2009 Dive site: Gili Meno, Bounty
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