Coenobitidae

The Coenobitidae are the family of terrestrial hermit crabs, widely known for their land-living habits. They are found in coastal tropical regions around the world and require access to the ocean to breed. The 17 species are placed in two genera:[1]

Coenobitidae
Coenobita perlatus
Coconut crab, Birgus latro
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Superfamily: Paguroidea
Family: Coenobitidae
Dana, 1851
Genera

Although coenobitids are fully terrestrial as adults, they spend their marine life as planktonic larvae. Female coenobitids return to the sea to hatch their eggs and their larvae develop through planktonic zoeal stages to a megalopa, in a similar way as the marine hermit crabs and just like these species, after settlement, terrestrial hermit crabs megalopae recognize and co-opt gastropods shells before migrating into the land and molt to the first crab stage.

ImageGenusLiving species
Coenobita Latreille, 1829
Birgus Leach, 1816


References

  • Hamasaki, K., Iizuka, C., Sanda, T., Imai, H. and Kitada, S. (2017), Phylogeny and phylogeography of the land hermit crab Coenobita purpureus (Decapoda: Anomura: Coenobitidae) in the Northwestern Pacific Region. Mar Ecol, 38: e12369. doi:10.1111/maec.12369
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