The Desaru Hermit Crab

During our little Desaru trip, 2 Little Hermit Crab was being washed up & by placing empty shells beside them, we are trying to see if we can see the process of shell swapping.



Hermit Crab, a land or water dwelling crustacean. Unlike true crabs, hermit crabs have soft, vulnerable abdomens. For protection from predators, many hermit crabs seek out abandoned shells, usually snail shells. When a hermit crab finds one of the proper size, it pulls itself inside, leaving several legs and its head outside the shell. A hermit crab carries the shell wherever it goes. When it outgrows its shell, it switches to a larger one. Most adult hermit crabs are from 13mm to 121mm long. Living on the seashore, in tidepools, and on the sea bottom in deeper water, hermit crabs scavenge their food.