TESC BIOTA

 

Pagurus granosimanus (Stimpson, 1858)

Grainy Hermit Crab

 Taxonomy:

          Kingdom: Animalia

          Phylum: Arthropoda

          Subphylum: Crustacea

          Class: Malacostraca

          Subclass: Eumalacostraca

          Order: Decapoda

          Suborder: Pleocyemata

          Infraorder: Anomura

          Family: Paguridae

          Genus: Pagurus

          Species: granosimanus

 

 

 

Found on TESC Beach

 

Identification: Lives in snail shell. First pair of walking legs unequal with pincers, right one larger.

Claws covered with fine granules.

Color: Olive-brown with white or blue speckles on pincers.

Size: 19 mm long, 16 mm wide (shell)

Range and Habitat: Alaska to Baja California on rocky shores in tide pools.  Between high and low tide lines (50 m). 

Life History: Spend life looking for larger shells. Fight other hermit crabs for shell if they can’t find one.

Comments: Pagurus granosimanus is most common wearing a shell of the Black Turban Snail. It is often confused with the Little Harry Hermit Crab (P. hirsutiusculus).

Links:

General Hermit Crab Information

Hermit Crab Info

Pagurus granosimanus Pictures

Close up of P. granosimanus

 

Suggested Reading:

Elwood, R. W. and S. J. Neil.  1992.  Assessments and Decisions: A Study of Information Gathering by Hermit Crabs (Studies in Behavioral Adaptation) Chapman & Hall.

 

Prepared by: Courtney Hargens Spring, 2004