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Kōrero: Crabs, rock lobsters and other crustaceans

Hermit crab

Image
Hermit crab

Hermit crabs make use of empty mollusc shells to protect their soft abdomen. Pictured here is Diacanthurus spinulimanus, a species widely distributed in New Zealand waters to a depth of 300 metres. As they grow, hermit crabs need to find larger shells to accommodate their vulnerable hindquarters.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10056296

by Malcolm Francis

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Niel Bruce rāua ko Alison MacDiarmid, Crabs, rock lobsters and other crustaceans – Crabs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/8230/hermit-crab (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Niel Bruce rāua ko Alison MacDiarmid, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.

Comments

Jasmine Brockington
14 October 2015
This is no help. I was looking for '' How is hermit crab different from a crayfish