Why do hermit crabs live in shells?
Half of the hermit crab’s body is completely uncovered, but the other, upper half is just like that of another crab. The shell of a snail provides the hermit crab with protection against predators and high salinity levels in the water. The crabs can retract into the shell, ventilate the flow of water, and store a female crab’s eggs. What is the relationship between the hermit crab and the moonsnail? The moonsnail is known to drill a little hole onto the shells of other snails, shells that are potential homes for hermit crabs. A hole in the shell means that the shell is weaker than the average shell; creatures inside the damaged shell would not be as protected from their enemies as those housed in an intact shell. Dr. Jan Pechenik and Sara Lewis did a study about the hermit crab’s willingness to occupy a drilled shell. Over 900 gastropod shells were secured from a site in Nahant, Massachusetts. The hermit crabs in periwinkle shells were placed in plastic cups of seawater at 20 degrees C
