Giant Hermit Crab Petrochirus diogenes

Hermit crabs have soft rear bodies and use a sea snail shell to protect their body from predators. They curl their rear body and hooked tail around the inside of the shell to walk about and move to a larger shell as they grow. The Giant Hermit Crab is native to the Caribbean Sea. (A marine species, it is not related to the Caribbean Land Hermit Crab.)

A giant crab, its body can reach 30 cm long. It lives in large conch shells and will attack and eat a living conch, gaining a meal and a new residence. The scientific name Diogenes is after the Greek cynic who lived in a barrel. It has red and white banded antennae, pale pink eye stalks and blue-green eyes.