Common Hermit Crab

The common hermit crab is a familiar sight on rocky and sandy seabeds across the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, typically at depths between 5 and 100 metres. Look for its distinctive asymmetrical body tucked inside an adopted shell — usually a whelk or periwinkle house — with only the armoured front claws and legs protruding. These crabs are opportunistic scavengers and will abandon their current shell for a larger one as they grow, a process that can involve comical wrestling matches with competitors. Divers often spot them shuffling along the seabed or perched in kelp forests, endlessly house-hunting.