C. compressus surface molt. Top most leg is a newly regenerated limb.

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The molting cycle in crustacean is controlled by hormones. Below is a snippet from a study on crustacean molting that explains the role of hormones in the molting cycle. Land hermit crabs continue to molt their entire life unlike some other crustaceans. ERNEST S . CHANGM, ARILYN J. BRUCEA, ND SHERRY L. TAMONE Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, California 94923 SYNOPSIS In order to increase in size, arthropods must first molt (shed) their confining exoskeleton. This molting process is under the immediate control of the steroid molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE). Read the full article More articles on molting: WhatRead More →

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Cute, small and low-maintenance, hermit crabs have dug their claws into the world of pets Sevil Hunter RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL 2/13/2004 05:07 pm Coenobita Clypeatus may be the object of McKenna Hoffs affection, but to her 4-year-old brother, Preston, it means only one thing: Yuck! I don’t like hermit crabs, said Preston, standing with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. I probably won’t like them even when I’m older, like 5. To his 5-year-old sister, hermit crabs are the coolest and most coveted creature around town. The Sparks girl is hoping to get one for her birthday July 9. Shell wait until then because, IRead More →

A hermit crab building it's molting burrow. Photo Credit Matt Steele

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Originally written by Vanessa Pike-Russell and Lisa Loseke updated by Stacy Griffith Arthropods (e.g., insects and crustaceans) must molt their exoskeletons periodically in order to grow; in this process the inner layers of the old cuticle are digested by a molting fluid secreted by the epidermal cells, the animal emerges from the old covering, and the new cuticle hardens. The molting process is a central, and nearly continuous, part of a crab’s life. A hermit crab may spend 90% of its time getting ready to molt, molting, or recovering from a molt. There are many dangers to molting including predation, difficulty in movement as musclesRead More →