Coenobitidae

Coenobita clypeatus on the beach in Mexico

Land hermit crabs ( Coenobitidae ) have, up to the larval stage, fully adapted to life on land. They live in moist, tropical regions of the earth to the sea, such as in mangrove areas directly on the beach and near the beach, such as the Indo-Pacific Ocean on the beaches of coral islands.

Search Land hermit crabs periodically freshwater springs on there and meet their water needs. With sea water they compensate their mineral balance. The female insect stripes hatching larvae in the sea. There they develop into small crabs, look for shells and then leave as subadult land hermit crabs return to the sea to live on land. Since Land hermit crabs are omnivorous, they feed on fruits and plants, but also from carrion (fish and meat of dead animals ). They are mainly active at night and pull at the slightest disturbance in their protective case back.

Inside systematics

The land hermit crabs family consists of two genera. In the genus Coenobita there are about 15 species. The genus is monotypic Birgus. The only way the coconut crab ( Birgus latro ), is not only the largest land hermit crab, but also the largest land-dwelling crustacean of the earth.

• Coenobita (Fall, 1791) Coenobita brevimanus Dana, 1852
• Coenobita cavipes Stimpson, 1858
• Coenobita carnescens Dana 1851
• Coenobita clypeatus JC Fabricius, 1787
• Coenobita compressus Fall, 1791
• Coenobita olivieri Owen, 1839
• Coenobita perlatus H. Milne Edwards, 1837
• Coenobita pseudorugosus Nakasone 1988
• Coenobita purpureus Stimpson, 1858
• Coenobita rubescens Greef 1884
• Coenobita rugosus H. Milne -Edwards, 1837
• Coenobita Scaevola Forskål, 1775
• Coenobita spinosus H. Milne Edwards, 1837
• Coenobita variabilis McCulloch, 1909
• Coenobita violascens Heller, 1862

• Coconut Crab ( Birgus latro ) Linnaeus, 1767