User:Missgurk/sandbox
Terrestrial and Aquatic hermit crabs
[edit]Hermit crabs can be informally divided into two groups: terrestrial hermit crabs and aquatic hermit crabs.[1]
The first group, the land hermit crabs, spend most of their life on land as terrestrial species in tropical areas, though even they require access to both freshwater and saltwater to keep their gills damp or wet to survive and to reproduce. They belong to the family Coenobitidae. Two of the most common crabs are the Ecuadorian Hermit crab and the Purple Pincher.[2]
The Ecuadorian Hermit Crab (Coenobita compressus) is a grayish black crab that are commonly found in tropical areas as well as beaches and rainforests. They are nocturnal, and are very social.[3] They eat washed up plants, and are recommended they eat mostly plants. They must have seawater close to them, as they need to keep their gills moistened. Overall they are a very social and peaceful crab.
The Purple Pincher (Coenobita clypeatus) is a a purple and orange crab that is typically found near the shore and especially in the tropical islands[4]. While they are also nocturnal these crabs have aggressive behaviors as well as cannibal tendencies. They forage in a big groups, and are able to eat anything from fish to wood.[4] Though they are terrestrial they travel back to the ocean to release their larvae, however they cannot submerge themselves in the water as their gills prevent them.
_(8478775882).jpg)
The second group is the aquatic hermit crabs (almost all marine, with a single species, Clibanarius fonticola, in freshwater). These crabs spend most of their lives underwater as aquatic animals, living in depths of saltwater that range from shallow reefs and shorelines to deep sea bottoms, rarely leaving the water for land. They breathe through gills but do not have to carry around their water to do so, and most can survive briefly out of water as long as their gills are damp. However, this ability is not as developed as it is in land hermit crabs. A few species do not use a "mobile home" and inhabit immobile structures left by polychaete worms, vermetid gastropods, corals, and sponges.[5]
 | This is a user sandbox of Missgurk. You can use it for testing or practicing edits. This is not the sandbox where you should draft your assigned article for a dashboard.wikiedu.org course. To find the right sandbox for your assignment, visit your Dashboard course page and follow the Sandbox Draft link for your assigned article in the My Articles section. |
- ^ W. Michael, Scott. "Aquarium Hermit Crabs". Fishchannel.com.
- ^ "Species Pictorial Guide - HCA: Hermit Crab Association". www.hermitcrabassociation.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Michael (2022-12-21). "Coenobita Compressus – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet, and Breeding". Shrimp and Snail Breeder. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b "Purple Pincher Hermit Crab, Coenobita clypeatus". www.thecephalopodpage.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Jason D. Williams; John J. McDermott (2004). "Hermit crab biocoenoses: a worldwide review of the biodiversity and natural history of hermit crab associates" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 305 (1): 1–128. Bibcode:2004JEMBE.305....1W. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2004.02.020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-01-13.