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Hermit Crab
Hermit Crab Facts
| Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things | Animalia |
| Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom | Arthropoda |
| Class: A group of animals within a pylum | Malacostraca |
| Order: A group of animals within a class | Decapoda |
| Family: A group of animals within an order | Paguroidea |
| Common Name: Most widely used name for this species | Hermit Crab |
| Scientific Name: The name of the animal in science | Paguroidea |
| Location: The place where something is found | Worldwide |
| Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats | Omnivore |
| Size: How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is | 2-10cm (0.8-4in) |
| Weight: The measurement of how heavy the animal is | 200-500g (7-18oz) |
| Number Of Species: The total number of recorded species | 500 |
| Average Lifespan: The average time the animal lives for | 1-10 years |
| Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct | Threatened |
| Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings | Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, White |
| Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal | Shell |
| Favourite Food: The preferred food of this animal | Fish |
| Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives | Coastal waters |
| Average Litter Size: The average number of babies born at once | 200 |
| Main Prey: The food that the animal gains energy from | Fish, Worms, Plankton |
| Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal | Fish, Sharks, Cuttlefish |
| Special Features: Characteristics unique to this animal | Long body shape and lives in protective shell |
Hermit Crab Location
Hermit Crab
The hermit crab is a small sized crustacean, that is found in ocean waters worldwide. Despite its snail-like appearance, the hermit crab is related to crabs, although they are not that closely related as the hermit crab is not a true crab.
There are more than 500 different species of hermit crab found in marine habitats all around the world. Although hermit crabs do venture into deeper waters, they are more commonly found in coastal waters where there is more food and places to hide.
The hermit crab has a soft under-body which it protects by carrying a shell on its back. The shell of the hermit crab is not its own, but one that belonged to another animal. As hermit crabs grow, they continue to find larger shells to accommodate their increasing size.
Hermit crabs are omnivorous animals that eat pretty much anything they can find in the surrounding water. Small fish and invertebrates including worms, are the most common prey for the hermit crab along with plankton and other food particles in the water.
Due to their small size, hermit crabs have numerous natural predators all around the world, which includes sharks, fish, cuttlefish, squid and octopuses. It is thought that hermit crabs often hide amongst other animals such as sea anemones as a form of natural protection.
After mating, the female hermit crab carries large numbers of eggs in a mass that is attached to her abdomen. The hermit crab larvae hatch into the open ocean in just a few weeks, where they quickly moult exposing the adult hermit crab body underneath.
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First Published: 25th January 2010, Last Updated: 8th November 2019
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
4. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
5. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
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