Caribbean hermit crab

Coenobita clypeatus · The Caribbean hermit crab is a species of land hermit crab native to the west Atlantic, Belize, southern Florida, Venezuela, and the West Indies.

Also called Purple pincher, Tree crab, West Atlantic crab.

Caribbean hermit crab
Photo: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0
Caribbean hermit crab
Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0
Caribbean hermit crab
Photo: ZooFari, Public domain

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassMalacostraca
OrderDecapoda
FamilyCoenobitidae
GenusCoenobita
SpeciesCoenobita clypeatus

Where it lives

Coastal land of Florida, the Bahamas, the West Indies and Venezuela.

Fun facts

  • Though it lives on land, this crab breathes air using modified gills, and its shell helps keep them damp enough to work.
  • Its bigger left claw is purple, which earns it the nickname "purple pincher".
  • When it hides in its shell, the crab can use its larger claw like a door to cover the opening and block predators.
  • These crabs eat leftovers, including overripe fruit and even the droppings of other animals such as the Mona ground iguana.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).