Kōrero: Crabs, crayfish and other crustaceans

Hermit crab

Hermit crab

Hermit crabs make use of empty mollusc shells to protect their soft abdomen. Pictured here is Diacanthurus spinulimanus, a species widely distributed in New Zealand waters to a depth of 300 metres. As they grow, hermit crabs need to find larger shells to accommodate their vulnerable hindquarters.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Department of Conservation
Reference: 10056296
Photograph by Malcolm Francis

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Niel Bruce and Alison MacDiarmid, 'Crabs, crayfish and other crustaceans - Crabs', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/photograph/8230/hermit-crab (accessed 13 May 2024)

He kōrero nā Niel Bruce and Alison MacDiarmid, i tāngia i te 12 Jun 2006