Pagurus bernhardus
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| Pagurus bernhardus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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Eupagurus bernhardus Linnaeus, 1758 |
Pagurus bernhardus is the common hermit crab of Europe's Atlantic coasts. It is sometimes referred to as the common hermit crab or soldier crab. It is about 3½ cm long ,and is found in both rocky and sandy areas, from the Arctic waters of Iceland, Svalbard and Russia as far south as southern Portugal, but its range does not extend as far as the Mediterranean Sea.
P. bernhardus uses shells of a number of gastropod species for protection, including Littorina littorea, Littorina obtusata, Nucella lapillus and Buccinum. It is a scavenger. In the warmer parts of its range, the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica is often found growing on the shell occupied by P. bernhardus. In colder waters, this rôle is filled by Hormathia digitata.
