One of the 22 crabs on WAnimals
Malacostracans · Decapoda · Paguridae
Chilean Hermit Crab
Pagurus edwardsii
It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary
A hermit crab of the south-eastern Pacific that protects its soft abdomen inside the empty shells of marine snails. It feeds on organic debris and small invertebrates and changes shell as it grows, a resource it competes for intensely with other hermit crabs.
Size
1 cm – 3 cm
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Unknown
Fun facts
- A hermit crab's abdomen is asymmetrical and curved to fit the spiral of the shell it occupies.
- The supply of empty shells, rather than food, is usually what limits the size of their populations.
- Like all hermit crabs, it has a soft, asymmetrical abdomen shaped to the spiral of the shell it occupies, and protects it by withdrawing inside.
- Shells are a scarce resource: hermit crabs compete for them and form exchange chains when a good-sized empty one turns up.
- It is an opportunistic scavenger and detritivore.
Life cycle & biology
- Habitat & environment
- Shallow rocky and sandy bottoms of the south-eastern Pacific
Sources consulted: Bibliografía de Paguridae del Índico occidental; WoRMS
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Chilean Hermit Crab — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
EndangeredGreen Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Red Lionfish
Pterois volitans
Spot-fin Porcupinefish
Diodon hystrix
Man-of-war Fish
Nomeus gronovii
Cobia
Rachycentron canadum
Upside-down Jellyfish
Cassiopea andromeda
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