Giant Hermit Crab Has A Very Important Job To Clean The Ocean Floor

Hermit crabs are very important for the cleanliness of the ocean, performing the crucial task of finding and consuming decaying plants and animals. They spend their day digging in the sand and combing the ocean floor, looking for anything that is rotting or decaying. Their diet consists of small shrimps and crustaceans, but most of what they eat has already perished and would simply pollute and foul the water. In terms of keeping the ocean clean, few creatures do such an impressive job. Often referred to as the janitors of the ocean floor, they are like tiny machines that move along, hoovering up waste and processing it.

There is a another fascinating aspect to these little creatures as well. They are soft bodied crabs, not having the ability to grow a hard shell or exoskeleton. They are also invertebrates. The crab needs to find another means of protection from predators so they rely on finding a suitable shell that has been left uninhabited. They carry their shell around like a mobile home until they outgrow it. Then they find a new one and move in. This can present challenges if shells of the right fit are no readily available. <a href="https://rumble.com/v3axl2-swirling-vortex-trap-confuses-hermit-crabs.html" target="_blank">Hermit crabs</a> will leave their old shell vacant and wait for other crabs to show up to inspect it. New crabs will do the same, forming what is referred to as a vacancy chain. Often, as many as 20 crabs will congregate together looking for the perfect trade.

Hermit crabs are able to venture onto land for long periods but they breathe through gills and they must be able to keep their gills wet in order to obtain oxygen from the air.

The <a href="https://rumble.com/v3ov53-creepy-hermit-crab-uses-discarded-dolls-head-as-shell.html" target="_blank">hermit crab</a> has also been known to allow sea anemones to grow on their shell to scare away predators. With such ingenious adaptations, it is no surprise that the hermit crab can live to an age of 70 years. Despite these impressive methods of ensuring survival, hermit crabs can be seriously affected by the collection of empty sea shells by humans. Lack of habitat and protection leaves them very vulnerable.