Hermit Crab Species

Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans that are not very closely related to true crabs. They belong to the superfamily Paguroidea. Most of the species of hermit crabs have long, soft abdomens and a salvaged empty seashell on their back, to protect them from predators. When threatened, the whole body of the crab retracts into the shell. As these crabs grow in size, they find a larger shell and abandon the previous one. Among the 500 known species of hermit crabs, most are aquatic and reside in varying depths of saltwater. This article comes up with information on some of the most commonly known hermit crab species. Read on to explore them in detail.

Coenobita Brevimanus is the second biggest hermit crab, belonging to the family Coenobitidae. This species originally belongs to the African east coast and the southwestern coast of the Pacific Ocean. These crabs have eyes in the shape of spheres, while the eyestalks have a dark color. Their exoskeleton is dark purple or brown in color.

 

Coenobita Cavipes are native to some of the Asian countries, along with eastern Africa. While this species of hermit crabs mostly remains in the forests, it does go to the beaches when it’s time for mating. As compared to the other species of hermit crabs, Coenobita Cavipes is more fond of fruits and molts. These crabs are orange or brown in color.

Coenobita Clypeatus is also known as the 'Caribbean hermit crab', 'tree crab', 'purple pincher', and the 'soldier crab'. These crabs are usually found in the Carribean Sea as well as around Florida, the Bermuda Islands, and Venezuela. Among all the species of hermit crabs, this is most common as pets. Coenobita Clypeatus can survive up to 30-40 years.

 

Coenobita Compressus is, sometimes, referred to as 'Ecuadorian hermit crab' or the 'Pacific hermit crab. This is yet another hermit crab species that is commonly found in pet shops. These crabs are among the smallest of the hermit crab species. They can only reach a maximum size of 12 mm.Since they tend to walk very fast, they need to be watched upon all the time or else, these crabs may escape you.

 

Coenobita perlatus are also called 'strawberry hermit crabs', due to their distinctive red color with small spots of white that resembles strawberries. These crabs are mostly found in Australia, though they are also available in United States. Young Coenobita perlatus are pale, red or orange in color. They may also be seen in white color. These crabs can survive for 30 years in the wild and reach up to 32 years as pets.

 

This species of hermit crabs is found along the coasts of Australia, east Africa as well as the southwestern pacific. Coenobita Rugosus make soundssimilar to that of the chirping of birds, when they feel threatened of something. They rub their pincer on the shell, in order to make the sound. These crabs may be seen in a variety of colors, such as green, brown, or tan. A few of them are black, white, pink, or blue as well.