Caribbean hermit crab
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Suborder: Pleocyemata Family: Coenobitidae Genus: Coenobita Species: C. clypeatus
Binomial name
Coenobita clypeatus (Fabricius, 1787)

The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the tree crab, the tree-climbing crab, the soldier crab, and the purple pincher, is a species of land hermit crab commonly sold in the United States. The last of its common names is due to their distinctive purple claw. They can live to be over 30 years old (and over 40 years in exceptional cases). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (979x613, 155 KB) Important note on accuracy of image description I am NOT an expert on hermit crabs. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... “Animalia” redirects here. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The nauplius larva of a dendrobranchiate Porcellio scaber, the common rough woodlouse, a terrestrial crustacean Pollicipes polymerus, the gooseneck barnacle Glyphea pseudastacus, a fossil glypheoid The crustaceans (Crustacea) are... // Subclasses Eumalacostraca Hoplocarida Phyllocarida See text for orders. ... Suborders Dendrobranchiata Pleocyemata See text for superfamilies. ... Infraorders Caridea Stenopodidea Reptantia, divided into: Polychelida Achelata Glypheoidea Astacidea Thalassinidea Anomala Brachyura Pleocyemata is a sub-order of decapod crustaceans, erected by Martin Burkenroad in 1963. ... Genera Birgus Coenobita Coenobitidae are a family of hermit crabs with only two genera: Birgus (Leach, 1816), the coconut crab, and Coenobita (Latreille, 1825), a genus of terrestrial hermit crabs centred in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but also extending to the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. ... Species C. clypeatus C. compressus C. perlatus C. variabilis The genus Coenobita contains the thirteen species of terrestrial hermit crabs. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Johann Christian Fabricius. ... Soldier crab is a term used in different parts of the world for different crustaceans: Pagurus bernhardus, a European hermit crab Coenobita clypeatus, a Caribbean hermit crab Dotilla myctiroides, a true crab from South-east Asia several species of the genus Mictyris, an Indo-West Pacific genus of crabs. ... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ...

The Caribbean hermit crab lives in the Arabian Sea, the Caribbean Sea, southern Florida, Venezuela, and the Bermuda Islands. They are omnivorous scavengers who live in colonies of 100 or more near the inland areas and who like to hide in caves or the roots of a tree. They prefer a relative humidity level between 70% and 78%, and a temperature of 24°C (75°F). Map of the Arabian Sea. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean Caribbean Sea from space (top left). ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Motto: Quo Fata Ferunt  (Latin) Whither the Fates Carry [Us] Anthem: God Save the Queen (official) Hail to Bermuda (unofficial) Capital (and largest city) Hamilton Official languages English Government UK overseas territory  - Queen HM Queen Elizabeth II  - Governor Sir John Vereker  - Premier Ewart Brown Independence none (overseas territory)  Area  - Total... Omnivores are organisms that consume both plants and animals. ... For a person who scavenges, see Waste picker. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ...

Physical description

Coenobita clypeatus is a member of the phylum Arthropoda and the class Malacostraca. They can be 17 mm in length. The color varies from a pale red to a dark brown or burgundy. Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... // Subclasses Eumalacostraca Hoplocarida Phyllocarida See text for orders. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ...

The eyestalks are round and white, with a black or brown stripe on the bottom. The eyes are oval in shape. The abdomen is short and fat. There are four walking legs, four tiny legs to hold the shell in place, a small pincher, a large purple pincher, and four antennae. Insects display a wide variety of antennal shapes. ...

Although these hermit crabs live on land, they have gills, rather than lungs. The high relative humidity of their native environments, plus water carried in the shell, allows their modified gills to remain wet and to properly extract oxygen from the air. Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ... Human respiratory system The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Shell usage and shell fights

The land hermit crab uses a shell to protect its delicate body. The shell is sometimes that of a land snail when the crab is young, but usually that of a marine snail. Once deceased, the snail body decomposes and the empty shell eventually washes onto shore. The hermit crab can then occupy the shell. Larger shells are necessary as the crab grows, but that growth is quite slow. Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ...

Hermit crabs are very particular about their shells and shell switching is not uncommon as the crab searches for the perfect shell. A desired characteristic of that shell is an opening about the size of the large claw, plus about 2½–3 mm (1/10 in to 1/8 in) all around (more for larger crabs). When threatened, the crab withdraws into the shell and blocks the entrance with the large claw. An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Fierce shell fights can occur if the shell supply is not adequate. The loser often dies since many hermit crabs will not release their grip on their shell until they are torn apart. The loss of limbs in shell fights is common, but may not result in death especially since the hermit crab can choose to drop (autotomize) a limb to disengage from the conflict. Autotomy (from the Greek auto = self- and tomy = severing) or self amputation is the act whereby an animal severs one of its own appendages, usually as a self-defence mechanism designed to elude a predators grasp. ...

Growth and molting

The Caribbean hermit crab, along with all species of hermit crabs, grows through a strenuous and hazardous process called molting where the exoskeleton of the animal is shed and a new, soft exoskeleton is exposed from beneath. A molt may also allow the crab to regrow lost appendages. The smallest Caribbean hermit crabs will molt many times per year while the largest (about the size of a baseball) may only molt once every 18 months. Ecdysis is the molting of the cuticula in arthropods and related groups (Ecdysozoa). ... An exoskeleton, in contrast to an endoskeleton, is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animals body. ... An appendage is, in general, an external body part that projects from the body, or a natural prolongation or projection from a part of any organism. ...

Before a molt, the hermit crab will attempt to eat enough to survive the molting period. It will obtain sea salt from salt water to aid in shedding the old exoskeleton and will store a supply of water. The crab may even seek out a smaller, tighter shell for easier digging or a larger shell for room to shed. Normally the molt is started by digging down into the moist substrate (with its shell) and creating a little cave. There total darkness triggers the secretion of the molting hormone ecdysone. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean. ... Ecdysone is a prohormone of the major insect moulting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone, which is secreted from the prothoracic glands. ...

Over a period of up to three months (larger crabs require the most time),

• the buried, molting crab sheds the old exoskeleton in a process called ecdysis,
• lost appendages may be regrown (completely or partially),
• the new exoskeleton hardens,
• the old exoskeleton is eaten to recover calcium and other nutrients,
• the crab regains its strength and returns to the surface.

Sometimes the land hermit crab will molt on the surface where other crabs may eat the shed exoskeleton or even kill the defenseless, molting crab. Circumstances that may cause a surface molt include illness or the lack of a substrate in which the crab can bury itself. Ecdysis is the molting of the cuticula in arthropods and related groups (Ecdysozoa). ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 40. ...

Land hermit crab reproduction

Female land hermit crabs release fertilized eggs into the ocean where the salt water causes them to hatch. The hatchlings live in the ocean until their gills mature enough to be able to extract oxygen from air. gills of a Smooth Newt Gills inside of a tuna head In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ...

Once on land, the hermit crab begins to drink fresh water, but still requires salt water (sea salt) for functions like molting. After the last developmental molt, the modified gills lose the ability to process water and the crab can drown if trapped under water. For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Captive C. clypeatus will not breed in an indoor environment, but have done so in an outdoor enclosure. None of the young lived past 10 days.

Shells used by Coenobita clypeatus

C. clypeatus is drawn to intact shells with circular or oval openings and a smooth mother-of-pearl interior. However in a pinch, they will even use discarded, manmade items like plastic glasses or broken bottles. Circle illustration This article is about the shape and mathematical concept of circle. ... An oval or ovoid was originally an egg shape (from Latin OVVM); it is now usually used to refer to ellipses, but can also mean any similar shape, such as egg shapes or race-course shapes (a semicircle on either side of a quadrilateral). ... A piece of nacre Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an organic mixture of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of platy crystals of aragonite and conchiolin (a scleroprotein). ...

Some of the snail (class Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca) shells with circular/oval openings available for their use in the wild include : Subclasses Eogastropoda (True Limpets and relatives) Orthogastropoda The gastropods, gasteropods, or univalves, are the largest and most successful class of mollusks, with 60,000-75,000 known living species comprising the snails and slugs as well as a vast number of marine and freshwater species. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora Monoplacophora Bivalvia Scaphopoda Gastropoda Cephalopoda † Rostroconchia † Helcionelloida † ?Bellerophontidae The molluscs (British spelling) or mollusks (American spelling) are members of the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar animals well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. ...

• Superorder Vetigastropoda - Order under revision

• turban shells (genus Turbo, family Turbinidae) - Examples:

• Filose Turban (Turbo cailletii) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture
• Channeled Turban (Turbo canaliculatus) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Chestnut or Knobby Turban (Turbo castanea) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• West Indian Topshell shells (Cittarium pica, family Trochidae - was Turbo pica) - also called the Magpie, the West Indian Topsnail, or erroneously the West Indian Whelk. Over fishing of this snail (Bermuda) has been known to negatively effect the Caribbean hermit crab population. - Region: Indonesia, Bermuda - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• Superorder Caenogastropoda - Order Sorbeoconcha

• periwinkle shells (genera Littorina, Littoraria, or Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina ; family Littorinidae) - Examples:

• White-Spotted Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina meleagris) - Region: N.America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Dwarf Brown Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina mespillum) - Region: N.America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Mangrove Periwinkle (Littoraria angulifera) - Region: North America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Common Periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Region: North America, Caribbean, Europe, India, etc. - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• "tulip shell" shells (genus Fasciolaria, family Fasciolariidae) - Examples:

• Yellow Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria bullisi) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Hunter's Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria lilium hunteria) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Banded Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria lilium tortugana) - Region: the Americas - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• True Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria tulipa) - Regions: Americas, India, etc. - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• nutmeg shells (genus Trigonostoma ; family Cancellariidae) - Example:

• Rugosa Nutmeg (Trigonostoma rugosum) - Region: Florida, E.Pacific, Western Atlantic - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• tun shells (genus Tonna, family Tonnidae) - Examples:

• Atlantic Spotted Tun (Tonna maculosa) - Region: the Americas, Africa - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Atlantic Partridge Tun (Tonna pennata) - Region: the Americas, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• King's Crown Conch shells (Melongena corona, family Melongenidae) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

• Superorder under revision - Order Pulmonata - have developed lungs, rather than gills

• Haitian Tree Snail shells [also called "Candy Striped" or "Rainbow" shells] (Liguus virgineus, family Orthalicidae) - Region: Cuba - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture

Genera and species See text. ... Genera See text. ... Caenogastropoda Categories: Animal stubs ... Suborders Discopoda Murchisoniina Hypsogastropoda Sorbeoconcha is an order within the gastropod superorder Caenogastropoda. ... Species , common periwinkle , flat periwinkle , rough periwinkle , checkered periwinkle Periwinkles are mollusks of the genus Littorina. ... Genera and species See text. ... Suborders Systellommatophora Basommatophora Eupulmonata Stylommatophora The Pulmonata are an order (sometimes subclass) of snails and slugs that have developed lungs. ...

External links

Hermit Crabs at the Open Directory Project The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as dmoz (from , its original domain name), is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links owned by Netscape that is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors. ...

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Coenobita clypeatus

• Nieves-Rivera, Á. M. & E. H. Williams, Jr. (2003). Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst) of Mona Island crustaceans. Crustaceana 76: 547-558. 
• Greenaway, P. (2003). Terrestrial adaptations in the Anomura (Crustacea: Decapoda). In: Lemaitre, R., and Tudge, C.C. (eds) "Biology of the Anomura". Proceedings of a symposium at the Fifth International Crustacean Congress, Melbourne, Australia, 9-13 July 2001.. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60 (1): 13-26. 
• Marine resources and fisheries strategic and comprehensive conservation plan – 2005, Appendix 1B: marine species overview, invertebrate species