𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐛 (𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜 𝐌𝐞𝐮𝐝𝐰𝐲)

The hermit crab is a very common creature found on sheltered sandy beaches and in rocky pools in the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation.

Due to its soft body, the hermit crab lives in an empty seashell which provides it with protection and shelter. The crab then carries the shell with it on its back everywhere it goes.

Hermit crabs are usually seen inside a shell with their eyes, claws and legs protruding outwards. However, they will retreat entirely within the shell when they are threatened.

Every now and then, when the creature outgrows its shell, it will need to find a larger, more suitable shell to live in. Often though, they may face fierce competition from other hermit crabs who are also in search of a new shell to live in.

In an area where shells are scarce and competition is high, cues of hermit crabs can form under water with hermit crabs trying out a new shells for good fit.

They often live in groups of 100 and more and sleep piled up together - and although their name suggests otherwise, the hermit crab is a very social creature!

📷 Paul Kay ©