Anemone hermit crab
Dardanus pedunculatus, commonly referred to as the anemone hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab from the Indo-Pacific region. It lives at depths of up to 27 m and collects sea anemones to place on its shell for defence.
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withDardanus pedunculatus usually attain a maximum size of 10 centimetres (4 in). The carapace is mottled in tan and cream, while the eyestalks are white with red bands. The sexes are similar. The left claw is much larger than the right claw.
Dardanus pedunculatus has a broad distribution in the Indo-Pacific region, from the Seychelles in the west to Japan and Hawaii in the east. In Australia, it is found from New South Wales (as far south at Port Jackson) to Queensland.
D. pedunculatus usually lives on coral reefs and in the intertidal zone, at depths of 1–27 metres (3–89 ft). It usually carries sea anemones on its shell, which it uses to protect itself from its main predator, cephalopods of the genus Octopus. The anemones are collected at night, and comprises the crab stroking and tapping the anemone until it loosens its grip on the substrate, at which point it is moved onto the gastropod shell that the hermit crab inhabits.
