The abdominal appendages of the land hermit crab include the thoracic appendages, pleopods, uropods and telson [1].
The thoracic appendages are used for cleaning the gills, gripping the shell, gripping a mate during copulation.
The pleopods are used for brooding eggs.
At the end of the pleon is the tail fan, comprising a pair of biramous uropods and the telson, which bears the anus. Together, they are used for steering while swimming, and in the caridoid escape reaction.
We are building image galleries of specific body parts. If you have high resolution, clear photos that you would like to donate to this project please contact us via email: crabstreetjournal at gmail dot com
Overview of the anatomy of a land hermit crab (Coenobita)
References:
1. Dardanus megistos by Storm Martin 2012
2. Robert P. D. Crean (November 14, 2004). “Characters and Anatomy”. Order Decapoda. University of Bristol. Retrieved April 23, 2012.