---
title: Hermit crabs (Paguroidea)
scientific_name: Paguroidea
common_name: Hermit crabs
rank: Superfamily
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T21:00:44.277Z
tags: Hermit crabs, Paguroidea, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs
---

# Hermit crabs (*Paguroidea*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Superfamily
- **Scientific name:** Paguroidea
- **Body shape:** Invertebrate - Not a fish - coral, mollusc, crustacean, echinoderm and other invertebrate groups.
- **Species listed here:** 13

## How to recognise this group

- invertebrate partly enclosed in a scavenged snail shell
- two pairs of walking legs visible outside the shell
- pair of prominent antennae extending from the front
- pair of claws (chelipeds), often one significantly larger
- larger claw used to block the shell entrance

Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans characterized by their soft, uncalcified abdomens, which they protect by inhabiting scavenged mollusc shells. The group's common name stems from this solitary, borrowed-home lifestyle. Their exposed bodies typically feature two pairs of walking legs, prominent antennae, and chelipeds (claws), often with one noticeably larger than the other. This larger claw serves both for defence and for sealing the shell entrance. Body length ranges from less than 1 cm (0.4 in) to over 10 cm (4 in) for visible species.

They occupy a variety of marine habitats including coral reefs, rubble fields, sandy bottoms, and seagrass beds, occurring from the intertidal zone down to depths exceeding 50 metres (165 ft). Hermit crabs feed primarily as scavengers and detritivores, consuming algae, small invertebrates, and organic debris. As they grow, they regularly exchange shells, seeking larger accommodations. Divers frequently encounter these crabs during both day and night dives.


## Species (13)

- [Anemone Hermit Crab (Dardanus tinctor)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/anemone-hermit-crab)
- [Banded Hermit Crab (Clibanarius eurysternus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/banded-hermit-crab)
- [Hairy Red Hermit Crab (Dardanus lagopodes)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/hairy-red-hermit-crab)
- [Halloween Hermit Crab (Ciliopagurus strigatus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/halloween-hermit-crab)
- [Hidden Hermit Crab (Calcinus latens)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/hidden-hermit-crab)
- [Keiji's Hermit Crab (Pylopaguropsis keijii)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/keijis-hermit-crab)
- [Kosugei Hermit Crab (Catapagurus kosugei)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/kosugei-hermit-crab)
- [Pagurixus haigae (Pagurixus haigae)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/pagurixus-haigae)
- [Pagurus hirtimanus (Pagurus hirtimanus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/pagurus-hirtimanus)
- [Red Hermit Crab (Pagurixus ruber)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/red-hermit-crab)
- [Red Sea Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita scaevola)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/red-sea-land-hermit-crab)
- [Rosy Hermit Crab (Calcinus rosaceus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/rosy-hermit-crab)
- [Woodmason's Hermit Crab (Dardanus woodmasoni)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs/woodmasons-hermit-crab)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/crustaceans/hermit-crabs)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*