Hermit Crabs
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They are well known for being the crustaceans that borrow shells for their residence.
With hundreds of different hermit crab species found world-wide, different species can measure anywhere from an inch to a foot in length.
As they grow, they replace one borrowed shell home for a larger version. A large hermit crab such as the white-spotted hermit crab of Hawaii might need a shell over a foot long.
Finding them in intertidal zones is often as easy as looking for a moving shell.
The top picture shows a blue-banded hermit crab (Pagurus samuelis). It is a fairly small crab with blue bands on the legs.
© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels