Caribbean hermit crab
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| Caribbean hermit crab | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Missing image Crab_out_of_shell.jpg A Caribbean hermit crab outside its shell | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Coenobita clypeatus Herbst, 1791 |
The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the tree-climbing crab and the purple pincher, is a species of hermit crab commonly sold in the United States. The last of its common names is due to their distinctive purple claw. Coenobita clypeatus is a member of the phylum Arthropoda and the class Crustacea. They have four walking legs, four tiny legs to hold the shell in place, a small pincher, a large pincher, and four antennae. The shell of the hermit crab is that of various marine snails. Once deceased, the snail body decomposes and the empty shell eventually washes onto shore. The hermit crab can then occupy the shell. Shell switching is not uncommon, and necessary as the crab grows.
Crab_in_shell.jpg
Coenobita clypeatus makes a good pet if taken care of properly. They require food and water dishes, and something to climb on. It is best to have two or more Coenobita clypeatus; having just one will cause it to become depressed and it may die. Depressed Coenobita clypeatus go through a process of losing their limbs one by one.
Coenobita clypeatus along with all species of hermit crabs grow through a process called molting where the exoskeleton of the animal is shed and a new, soft exoskeleton is exposed from beneath. Over a period of several days, the new exoskeleton hardens and the old, shed exoskeleton is eaten by the hermit crab, in order to regain the calcium.