Hermit Crab

Blue-handed Hermit Crab
Pagurus samuelis

Maximum Size: 19mm long, 16mm wide

Habitat: Rocky shores, from high-tide line to water over 40 feet deep

Range: Alaska to Baja California

Maximum Size: 3/4 of an inch

Fun Facts: This hermit crab is easily distinguished from others by the bright blue bands near the tips of its walking legs and its pale blue pincers.

Like all hermit crabs, they use an abandoned snail shell as a home, seeming to prefer the shells of black turban snails.

Click here to see a movie of a blue-handed hermit crab.