Striped Hermit Crab in Moon Snail Shell

Habitat:

The striped hermit crab, Clibanarius vittatus, is one of the most conspicuous summer inhabitants of shallow, saline waters in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries. These crabs occur widely along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America and are found in Central and South America as far south as Brazil.

Notes:

Striped hermits occupy a variety of shells depending upon the hermits’ life stage and their location in the estuary. Shells of the oyster drill, Thais, the moon snail (Naticidae), Neverita duplicata, and whelks of the genus Busycon are commonly occupied by adult hermit crabs along the barrier island beaches. Naticidae