Hermit crabs

Likely the most common hermit crab in Hawaii is the left-handed hermit crab, found by the thousands in tide pools along the shorelines. The green hermit crab is also very abundant in the tide pool setting. On the reef hermit crabs are often seen in holes in the coral or amongst the coral rubble. The fastest, largest and by far the coolest is the anemone hermit crab, with stinging anemones on its back this hermit crab is fairly bold, often wandering all around the reef at night.

Anemone hermit crab eating a partridge tun snail. This hermit crab is going to slowly eat the animal and then move into its shell. To make the shell feel like home it will take anemones from the old shell and paste them onto the new one. These anemones will protect the hermit crab from predators using orange threadlike stinging tentacles that protrude when touched.

Cone snail hermit crab

Bloody hermit crab

Haig's hermit crab

Painted hermit crab. One of the most common hermit crabs found on the reef.

Orange-spotted hermit crab

Green hermit crab