This is part of our series about different animals and events at our Blue Ocean Discovery Center. This month we will discuss a favorite pet and Discovery Center inhabitant: the hermit crab.
We have several marine hermit crabs in the observation tanks and large touch tank. Our visitors especially enjoy handling the hermit crabs and watching them go quickly into their shells. The patient handler is usually rewarded by the hermit crab’s return to the outside world. Our hermit crabs grow and move into new shells, as do all hermit crabs. It’s always exciting to see a move occur and we make sure that several new homes are available for our crabs to choose from.
Are Hermit Crabs Related to Other Crabs?
Hermit crabs are related to other crabs but their abdomen is very different in that it is not covered with a hard shell. The hermit crab’s abdomen is soft, spirally curved and it is usually attached to the inside of an empty snail shell that the crab finds. To visualize where a crab’s abdomen is, follow this comparison to the crab’s relative; the lobster. A lobster’s abdomen or tail is quite visible and because it is so muscular, it’s a favorite of seafood lovers. Imagine that a lobster’s abdomen/tail was tucked underneath its body. The result is what a crab looks like. We look down on the body and the abdomen/tail is tucked underneath, opening only when the crab mates.
Pet Hermit Crabs
Many people tell us that they have had hermit crabs as pets. If you have ever had a hermit crab as a pet, it is a different species than the marine hermit crab in our tanks. Hermit crabs that are sold as pets are land crabs that have been imported from the tropics. They breathe with gills but can exist out of water for an extended time. They need a water source, either fresh or salt, to wet their gills but they do not need to be submerged in water.
The hermit crabs that are in our tanks were found in Hampton Harbor. A sharp eyed naturalist could find them in tide pools, under rocks, or on water-covered beaches. They also breathe with gills but can exist out of water for only a short period of time. Their gills must be very moist or they will not survive. You would never find them in dry, hot sand. This species of hermit crab is not suitable as a pet unless you have a marine aquarium and the hermit crab can live under the water.
Open New Year’s Eve!
The Blue Ocean Discovery Center will be open and free to the public on New Year’s Eve from 6-8 pm. The Hampton Beach Village District and Harris Realty will again donate cookies, hot chocolate, and coffee to our visitors. The Village District also sponsors the fireworks that are scheduled for 8:15 pm. The large touch tank is closed for the winter, but visitors can look at the animals in the observation tanks and all of the exhibits. Parking is now free at the beach. You are all very welcome and this is a great opportunity to enjoy nature and welcome in 2019!
