Caribbean hermit crabs Life Back

Washington - A research submarine in the waters of the Caribbean recently discovered species of hermit crabs that were previously only known through dried specimens from more than a century. Species, Pylopagurus discoidalis, has never been found alive.

The submarine was named Curasub hermit crabs collected some samples from the ocean floor and bring them back to be placed in the aquarium. Animals whose body colored reddish tinge was then photographed for scientific documentation.

"This is the first picture of the animal is alive," said Rafael Lemaitre, a zoologist at the National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institute, as quoted by the website LiveScience, Tuesday, April 9, 2013.

Lemaitre said that, like other types of hermit crabs, P. discoidalis obtain their shells of other animals, usually mollusks. Each hermit crabs have to carefully choose the shell that matches the shape of their bodies to be comfortable to wear as well as clothes.

P. discoidalis is unique because it has chelae, a feature on the front of a body shaped like a shield. Chelae allows hermit crabs shell closes when alarmed. "The end of another shell can also be sealed by the back of the hermit crabs that are shaped like a tail," said Lemaitre.

Unique Hermit crabs are found at depths of 50-100 meters off the coast of Curacao in the Caribbean island. According to Lemaitre, search hermit crabs in the Caribbean is part of Reefs Observation Project was initiated by the Smithsonian Institute.

The project allows taxonomists like Lemaitre to conduct direct observation of many animal species previously known only from preserved exclusively in museum collections. "The opportunity is extraordinary and unique," he said.

Lemaitre claimed not to know much about the daily lives and behavior of P. discoidalis. The research team is currently collecting DNA samples of small hermit crabs to study evolutionary history.

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