Hermit Crab
This macro image of a Hermit Crab was taken in Koh Tao, Thailand in 2007.
New Age Travellers
Mostly occupying the shells of sea snails, the hermit crab needs to upgrade it's borrowed home as it grows.
Competition for spare shells can be high and lead to fierce battles.
A hermit crab can regenerate it's exoskeleton and any missing limbs in around 10 days in a process called moulting.
Home Security
Some larger hermit crabs have sea anemones on their shells to ward off predators in return for scraps from meals.
The anemones can transfer to the new shell of a hermit crab when it moves home.
PADI Competition Winner
This was one of the images that won the PADI Speciality of the Year competition in May 2007.
More here...
