Blue-leg/Blue-legged Hermit Crab Clibanarius tricolor

Blue-leg Hermit Crab
Blue-leg Hermit Crab
Blue-leg Hermit Crab
Hermit crabs use a sea snail shell to protect their soft rear body from predators, curling the rear body and hooked tail around the inside of the shell to walk about. They move to a larger shell as they grow. The (Dwarf) Blue-leg/Blue-legged Hermit Crab, also called the Tri-coloured and Three-coloured, is native to the Caribbean.
Blue-leg Hermit Crab
Blue-leg Hermit Crab with Coral Beauty
Blue-leg Hermit Crab
As its name indicates, it has blue legs, with red banding and white tips. It is about 4cm (1.5 inches) long. Both claws are equal in size.
Blue-leg Hermit Crab with Cone Snail
Blue-leg Hermit Crab
Blue-leg Hermit Crab
Moving to a larger shell is a dangerous time. The crab is a scavenger eating dead and decaying matter, algae and detritus.