Hermit crabs often share their shells with smaller critters. A two-tentacled worm lives with this Hairy hermit; it waves its tentacles out of a hole at the rear of the shell. A mobile base gives the worm access to more food. Does it tickle? The hermit doesn't seem to mind. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit

Switching shells is a complicated procedure for a hermit crab, whether after a molt or when the present shell is proving uncomfortable. The new shell must be carefully checked inside and out, rolled over, weighed. This grainy hand hermit considers a swap. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit

A hermit crab out of his borrowed shell is extremely vulnerable to predation. Here a freshly molted hermit waits high in the eelgrass for his new skin to harden, when he'll descend to look for a new shell. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit

Hermit crabs grow out of the shells they borrow, and go "shopping" for new ones. A wide range of shell types are acceptable. Here, a young hairy hermit wears a shell of the invasive mudflat snail, Battillaria attramentaria, about 5 cm. long. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit

A hermit crab stack. Two grainy-hand hermits below and a little hairy hermit on top. The one on the bottom never seems to mind the weight; the shells they wear aren't compressible. VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit #Eelgrass

Hermit crabs are good climbers. They like high places where they can sit and watch the world go by. Here, a little one climbs the eelgrass. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit #Eelgrass

Hermit crabs are good climbers. They like high places where they can sit and watch the world go by. Here, a little one climbs the eelgrass. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit #Eelgrass

Hairy hermit crab, Pagurus hirsutiusculus, wearing a broken shell; the hole exposes the end of his vulnerable, soft abdomen.#VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #MarineLife #DailyHermit

Grainy Hand hermit crab, Pagurus granosimanus. Description in ALT. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #DailyHermit

Grainy Hand hermit crab, Pagurus granosimanus. Description in ALT. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #DailyHermit

For 13 years, I maintained an invertebrates aquarium, housing only small critters from local intertidal zones. 13 years! In the aftermath of Covid, I had to give it up. It's been two years now, and I miss my critters, especially the hermit crabs. So I've decided to do a Daily Hermit post here, using photos of those glorious years. #VancouverIsland #HermitCrabs #IntertidalInvertebrates #Invertebrates #DailyHermit

Last picture of the night, in this trip down memory lane. I rescued this chap from a freecycle post - he had been abandoned in a cardboard box when some people moved out of a trailer.
I kept him for over a year, before giving him to a more experienced crab person. I didn't give him a deep enough substrate to molt in (I thought I had. I was wrong). He died when he went down for a molt in her care, sadly. Native to east coast, USA, and Caribb

Taken in 2006.

Meet Strawberry Claws—a new species of hermit crab https://phys.org/news/2024-11-strawberry-claws-species-hermit-crab.html

A new species of #HermitCrab in the genus #Strigopagurus from the continental shelf off south-east #Queensland, #Australia https://www.museum.qld.gov.au/collections-and-research/memoirs/nature-65/mqm-n65-7-davie-mcnamara

"the #NewSpecies has several highly distinctive features. Most striking is its bright red claws, but it also has evolved its own unique method of producing underwater sound (#stridulation), much like #cicadas do in the air."

St Piran’s hermit crab – an opportunist with stunning eyes | Environment | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/07/st-pirans-hermit-crab-an-opportunist-with-stunning-eyes

#Invertebrate
#InvertebrateOfTheYear
#StPiransHermitCrab
#HermitCrabs
#Crabs

On tropical coasts, #hermitcrabs are now making their homes in #plastic waste https://phys.org/news/2024-01-tropical-coasts-hermit-crabs-homes.html

Hermit crabs find new homes in plastic waste: Shell shortage or clever choice? - Enlarge / Scientists have found that hermit crabs are increasingly usin... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=2000814 #hermitcrabs #syndication #science

Dog goes to a bar, shells for hermit crabs, disabled cat, surfing dog, and more.

https://cutetropolis.com/2024/01/29/links-this-dog-walks-into-a-bar/

This whole group of #crabs have adapted to scavenge and use discarded #SnailShells to protect their fragile bodies. And when those shells are in short supply, the crabs will fight over them.

The researcher said that the natural snail shells were in decline, so she suspected it might be becoming easier for the animals to find an artificial alternative. #Oceans #Plastics #pollution

#HermitCrabs are 'wearing' our #plastic rubbish - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68071695

Costa Rica Hermit Tree Crabs purchase here:

https://pixels.com/featured/costa-rica-shell-hermit-tree-crabs-norma-brandsberg.html?newartwork=true