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photo © ria tan 2002

Hermit crab Clibanarius sp. This hermit crab has made a home inside the empty shell of a beautiful Volute snail. If someone had taken this shell home, this hermit crab would be homeless :-( The white discs attached to the inside of the shell are snails (Crepidula sp.) that are often found living inside a shell inhabited by a hermit crab. The constant flow of water through the shell provides food and oxygen. These shells are often found in pairs, the larger one being the female, the smaller the male.

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