Striated Hermit Crab

Dardanus arrosor

Systematics: Anomura Family Diogenidae

Distinguishing Characters:
The left cheliped is much larger than the right. This is a large hermit crab, up to 140 mm long, with red and white rings around the eyes and red and white stripes on the carapace and legs.

Habitat and Distribution:
The striated hermit crab lives below the low tide level on rocky shores down to more than 200 metres depth. The species occurs from the Red Sea, through the Indian Ocean to the eastern Pacific, including all of Australia.

General Biology:
Like most hermit crabs this is a scavenger on dead shells and fishes but may be able to catch and feed on crabs and other living animals.

Feedback and queries should be sent to the Discovery Centre at Museum Victoria.
Please note, the Discovery Centre can help you only with questions about crustaceans from southeastern Australia. It can not advise on the care of pet hermit crabs or on crustaceans from other regions.