Observations on the Social Behavior of the Land Hermit Crab, Coenobita Clypeatus (Herbst)

Brian A. Hazlett
Ecology, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Mar., 1966), pp. 316-317
doi:10.2307/1933783
This article consists of 2 page(s).

Abstract

The social interactions of Coenobita clypeatus resemble those of marine hermit crabs in many ways. Stereotyped movements of the chelipeds and ambulatory legs were often executed as two crabs approached each other. Idividuals also have a repertoire of shell fighting behavior patterns, including rotating movements by the attacker and production of a chirping sound by the defender.