Hermit crabs
Arthropoda – Malacostraca
Distribution:
Hermit crabs are not connected to the shell on their back, so as they grow, they need to find larger shells to move into. When they have found a larger shell, they crawl out of their old shell and move into their new shell. They are mainly nocturnal and feed during the night, though you do see them moving during the daylight hours. They are social animals and like to feed and sleep in groups.
Did you know?
Hermit crabs have gills but can survive on land as long as their gills stay moist.
In This Section
- Chordates – Animals with backbones
- Invertebrates – Animals without backbones
- Abalone
- Acorn barnacle
- Baler shell
- Blue button sea jelly
- Bluebottle
- Bryozoan
- Bubbler crabs and sand balls
- Chiton
- Cone shell
- Coral
- Cowry shell
- Crab
- Cuttlebone
- Goose barnacle
- Hermit crabs
- Horned ghost crab (Manburr)
- Limpet
- Mud crab
- Mussel
- Periwinkle
- Pipi
- Ram’s horn shell
- Razor clam
- Sand dollars
- Scallop
- Sea hare
- Sea hares
- Sea jelly
- Sea star
- Sea urchin
- Silver-lip pearl oyster
- Sponge
- Tube worm
- Turban snail
- Violet snail
- Marine Pests
- Seagrasses and Algae
- Unusual Finds