Rank Species | Subphylum Crustacea Scientific name Clibanarius erythropus Higher classification Clibanarius Order Decapoda | |
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Similar Clibanarius, Hermit crab, Crustacean, Decapoda, Diogenidae | ||
St pirans crabs clibanarius erythropus going crazy in a breton rockpool
Clibanarius erythropus is a species of hermit crab that lives in rockpools and sublittoral waters. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Azores to Brittany, the Channel Islands and as far north as the south Cornwall coast. Individuals may grow up to a carapace length of 15 millimetres (0.6 in).
Contents
- St pirans crabs clibanarius erythropus going crazy in a breton rockpool
- Clibanarius erythropus party animal
- Ecology
- Popular culture
- References
Clibanarius erythropus party animal
Ecology
A variety of different gastropod shells are used by C. erythropus, the most frequent being Littorina striata, Mitra, Nassarius incrassatus and Stramonita haemastoma, which collectively account for 85% of all the individuals studied in the Azores; in the Mediterranean, shells of Cerithium, Alvania montagui and Pisania maculosa are most used by C. erythropus.
Like other hermit crabs, C. erythropus feeds on "organic debris, decayed and fresh macro-algae with associated fauna and epiphytic algal flora, small invertebrates, and macroscopic pieces of dead and live animal tissues". It has been shown that C. erythropus individuals select substrates where they can cover large distances, and that globose shells allow them greater mobility than elongate ones.
Popular culture
In 2016 the BBC Springwatch programme highlighted Clibanararius erythropus and ran a competition to provide a vernacular name. The winning name was St Piran's crab, a process supported by National Trust West Cornwall and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall, and was a hermit who survived being thrown into the sea.
