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Hermit Crab (Black-eyed)

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Pagurus armatus

Range

They are found from Alaska to California.

Habitat

They live in the tidal zone off the shoreline.

Body Traits

They are one of the largest hermit crabs. They have large, oval, black eyes that stand up on stalks. The top of their claws are covered with spines. The legs and claws have red bands.

Habits

As they grow, hermit crabs abandon their shell and move into a larger one.

Diet

They will eat anything they can find (scavengers), including: worms, small sea creatures (invertebrates) and dead animals and plants.

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Reproduction

Females carry eggs in a mass on their belly (abdomen) inside their protective shell. When the larvae hatch, they swim off to hide, feed and grow. As they grow, they shed (molt) their outer layer. Finally they will settle on the seabed as a young crab.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Superfamily: Paguroidea
Family: Paguridae
Genus: Pagurus
Species: P. armatus

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