In: General

Welcome to the world Coenobita lila! It’s not often a new species of land hermit crab is announced so this is a pretty big day for us.  Until now the purple land hermit crabs found in Borneo were considered to be C. purpureus AKA Blueberries. This new research document confirms this is false and that the hermit crabs found in Borneo are actually Coenobita lila (for lilac). Check out the details on the Coenobita hermit crab species site: http://coenobitaspecies.com/new-species-of-land-hermit-crab-discovered-coenobita-lila/Read More →

In: Biology, General

When adding newly purchased or adopted hermit crabs to an existing colony, for the long-term health of all, we at CSJ recommend a 30 day quarantine period in an isolation tank. Placing newly purchased or adopted hermit crabs into an existing healthy colony without a quarantine period risks the unnecessary exposure of your healthy hermits to shell disease or parasites. If you are just starting out with hermit crabs and do not have an existing colony or crabitat in place, use of the PPDS Reduction Method will allow you to monitor your new crabs for 30 days and bring them slowly up to ideal environmentalRead More →

In: General

In hermit crabs, the fourth and particularly the fifth pereopods are reduced, usually remaining within the confines of the gastropod shell and hence are not used for walking. These appendages do however becoming important when the hermit crab attempts to right itself, providing anchorage within the shell. Further, the fifth pereopod has become specialised as a gill cleaning appendage, often resting within the gill chamber (Bauer 1981). On the abdomen only the left pleopods are retained (Poore 2004).[1] Hermit crabs used specialized setae on the their maixillipedes and fifth pereiopods for most grooming but used the unmodified first, second, and third periopods as well. MostRead More →

In: Biology

I am unsure about the set of spots on the legs after the gonopores. Hermit crabs can change gender during a molt so perhaps that is the location of where the male sex tubes would develop after a gender change? Just a theory…. Coenobita rugosus has been found to be intersexual  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 upload your photos to Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/ajUgzmoG7co86iH2X0fh Overview of the anatomy of a land hermit crab (Coenobita) References:Read More →

In: Biology

The Cephalic shield [1] or carapace is part of the exoskeleton that covers the cephalothorax. It functions as a protective cover, hence the common name ‘shield‘. 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 upload your photos to Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/ajUgzmoG7co86iH2X0fh Overview of the anatomy of a land hermit crab (Coenobita) Photo credits:HUSO Chen Yu-Jung Stacy Griffith References:Read More →

In: Biology

Land hermit crabs have two pairs of antennae. The antennae are vital sensory organs that allow Coenobita to locate the ocean, their food and to explore their surroundings. Coenobita rely on humidity in the air to aid them in smelling and locating various odors. In Coenobita Violascens the antennal acicle is fused with second peduncular segment. To capture odors, crustaceans move their antennules back and forth through the water in a motion called flicking. 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 upload your photos to DropboxRead More →

In: Biology

Chela (organ) A chela /kˈiːlə/, also named claw, nipper or pincer, is a pincer-like organ terminating certain limbs of some arthropods.[1] The name comes from Greek (χηλή) through New Latin (chela). The plural form is chelae.[2] Legs bearing a chela are called chelipeds.[3] Another name is claw because most chelae are curved and have a sharp point like a claw. Also called pincer or pincher. 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 upload your photos to Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/ajUgzmoG7co86iH2X0fh Overview of the anatomy of a landRead More →

In: Biology

Coenobita possess compound eyes comprised of faceted lenses which are especially adept at picking up fine movements. The eyes are located on movable stalks and this is one of the primary ways we determine the species of hermit crab we are looking at.   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 upload your photos to Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/ajUgzmoG7co86iH2X0fh Overview of the anatomy of a land hermit crab (Coenobita) Photo Credits:The Crab Street Journal has been granted permission by these photographers to use their photo(s) on ourRead More →

In: Biology

The gills of Coenobita and Birgus are modified for air-breathing but are reduced in number and size and have a comparatively small surface area. The branchiostegal lungs of Coenobita (which live in gastropod shells) are very small but are well vascularized and have a thin blood/gas barrier. Coenobita has developed a third respiratory organ, the abdominal lung, that is formed from highly vascularized patches of very thin and intensely-folded dorsal integument. Oxygenated blood from this respiratory surface is returned to the pericardial sinus via the gills (in parallel to the branchiostegal circulation). Birgus, which does not inhabit a gastropod shell, has developed a highly complexRead More →

In: Biology

The land hermit crab (Coenobita) develops a water sac inside of their shell prior to a molt. As shedding of the old exoskeleton begins, this store of water is used to expand the body to stretch and increase size before the soft exoskeleton begins to harden again 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 upload your photos to Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/ajUgzmoG7co86iH2X0fh Overview of the anatomy of a land hermit crab (Coenobita)Read More →

In: Biology

The mandible (from Latin: mandibula or mandĭbŭ-lum, a jaw) [1] of an arthropod is a pair of mouthparts used for either for biting, cutting and holding food. The last three cephalic segments, together with the three most anterior thoracic segments (all of the cephalothorax), house the external mouthparts. From anterior to posterior these are the mandibles, maxillules, maxillae and then the three pairs of thoracic maxillipeds. These are all biramous except for the mandibles and maxillules. [2] Mandibles are often simply referred to as jaws. Maxillipeds are appendages modified to function as mouthparts.  Hermit crabs are often seen grooming their eyes with their maxillipeds muchRead More →

In: Biology

grav·id: ˈɡravid/ adjective 1. pregnant; carrying eggs or young. Land hermit crabs carry their brood inside of the shell until they are ready to be released into the ocean. 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 upload your photos to Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/ajUgzmoG7co86iH2X0fh Overview of the anatomy of a land hermit crab (Coenobita)Read More →

In: Biology

Hermit crabs in the Coenobita family are Decapods which means they have 10 legs, limbs or appendages. 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 youRead More →

In: Biology

Exact text of the original paper by Herbst: The name Coenobita Clypeatus (usually pronounced seen-oh-bit-a cly-pe-ait-us) may be translated as “shield-bearing monk or cloister brother,” which conjures up a truer image of this often gregarious and variously cloistered resident of tropical East American shores than does “hermit crab.” But, like most common names, “hermit crab” or “soldier crab” in native parlance, will certainly endure. The animal so called belongs to a small family of terrestrial decapod crustaceans quite distinct from the marine hermit crabs. The family Coenobitidas is composed of two genera: Birgus and Coenobita. Birgus is represented by a single species, Birgus latro (Linnaeus,Read More →

In: FAQ

Originally written by Vanessa Pike-Russell, edited and updated by Stacy Griffith Thu, Oct. 12th, 2006, 10:40 pm  Keeping and breeding land hermit crabs Foreword: Hello. My name is Vanessa Pike-Russell. Stu Wools-Cobb visited my website on land hermit crab care and emailed me after reading my caresheet on gender and reproduction. At the time it had been unheard of for land hermit crabs to have successfully reproduced in captivity and the resulting eggs raised to juvenile (air-breathing) stage of development.  A few emails, phone calls later, and Stu sent me a copy of his booklet that was created in part for his local aquarist society.Read More →