hermit crab, any crab of the families Paguridae and Coenobitidae (order Decapoda of the class Crustacea). These crabs use empty snail shells (e.g., whelk or periwinkle) or other hollow objects as a shelter for partial containment and protection of the body. Their bodies lack a hard protected carapace; without a shell they are extremely vulnerable to predators. Hermit crabs, worldwide in distribution, occur in sandy- or muddy-bottomed marine waters and occasionally on land and in trees. The soft abdomen is asymmetrical, usually curling to the right. There are two pairs of antennae and five pairs of legs. The first pair ...(100 of 417 words)

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