Caribbean hermit crab explained

The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the soldier crab, West Atlantic crab, tree crab, or purple pincher (due to the distinctive purple claw), is a species of land hermit crab native to the west Atlantic, Belize, southern Florida,[1] Venezuela, and the West Indies.[2]

Description

Adults burrow and hide under the roots of large trees, and can be found a considerable distance inland.[1] As with other terrestrial decapods, they use modified gills to breathe air. Their shells help maintain the humidity necessary for gas exchange to function.[3] Typically, the Caribbean hermit crab's left claw is larger in size than its right claw and is purple in color. Female land hermit crabs release fertilized eggs into the ocean. The spawning (called "washing" in the English-speaking Caribbean) occurs on certain nights, usually around August.[4]

Ecology

Caribbean hermit crabs are both herbivorous and scavengers.[5] In the wild, C. clypeatus feeds on animal and plant remains, overripe fruit, and faeces of other animals,[1] including the Mona ground iguana (Cyclura stejnegeri).[4] The West Indian top snail (Cittarium pica) shell is often used for its home, and the hermit crab can use its larger claw to cover the aperture of the shell for protection against predators.[1] As with other species of hermit crabs, C. clypeatus may engage in "shell fights" and can emit a chirping noise when stressed.[6]

Pet Trade

This species is one of the two land hermit crabs commonly sold in the United States as pets, the other being the Ecuadorian hermit crab.[2] [7] C. clypeatus has been confirmed to live as long as 12 years,[8] and some crab owners have claimed to have crabs live up to 40 years.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: July 14, 2009 . Common Coastal Flora and Fauna of Vieques . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090815173940/http://mapping2.orr.noaa.gov/portal/vieques/pdfs/VCHTbook.pdf . August 15, 2009 . dead .
  2. Book: Audrey Pavia . 2006 . 2nd . Hermit Crab . Volume 51 of Your Happy Healthy Pet . . 978-0-471-79379-3 . What is a hermit crab? . https://books.google.com/books?id=FlYGxERCosEC&pg=PA18 . 13–22 .
  3. Farrelly. C.A.. Greenaway. P.. The morphology and vasculature of the respiratory organs of terrestrial hermit crabs (Coenobita and Birgus): gills, branchiostegal lungs and abdominal lungs. Arthropod Structure & Development. January 2005. 34. 1. 63–87. 10.1016/j.asd.2004.11.002. 2005ArtSD..34...63F .
  4. Ángel M. Nieves-Rivera . Ernest H. Williams, Jr. . 53587978 . 2003 . Annual migrations and spawning of Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst) on Mona Island (Puerto Rico) and notes on inland crustaceans . . 76 . 5 . 547–558 . 10.1163/156854003322316191 . 20105594.
  5. Linton. Stuart. Greenaway. Peter. A review of feeding and nutrition of herbivorous land crabs: adaptations to low quality plant diets. Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 6 February 2007. 177. 3. 269–286. 10.1007/s00360-006-0138-z. 17279390. 23721149 .
  6. Hazlett. Brian. Observations on the Social Behavior of the Land Hermit Crab, Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst). Ecology. 1 March 1966. 47. 2. 316–317. 10.2307/1933783. 1933783. 1966Ecol...47..316H .
  7. Book: Sue Fox . 2000 . Hermit Crabs: a Complete Pet Owner's Manual . . 978-0-7641-1229-4 . About hermit crabs . 5–10 . https://books.google.com/books?id=ht5MAvQOlC0C&pg=PT9 .
  8. Chace. Fenner. Longevity of the West Indian Terrestrial Hermit Crab, Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst, 1791) (Decapoda, Anomura). Crustaceana. 1972. 22. 3. 320. 10.1163/156854072X00624.
  9. Web site: Lombardi. Linda. The 40-Year-Old Hermit Crab. Atlas Obscura. 25 January 2017. 2016-10-04.

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