The secret of hermit crab changing its shell

Hermit crab is a crustacean marine animal, living in the sand bottom, mud bottom water, occasionally on land or trees, also known as white housing, dry housing, etc., often use its claws to eat the flesh of mollusk shellfish, occupy their own shells, the house has conch shells, shells, snail shells, and even use bottle caps as a home because of the bad ecological environment. Let's take a look at the secret of changing shells.

The two crabs compete with each other as a shell

Hermit crabs are said to be crustaceans, but they are not born with crustaceans, but by living in snail shells to protect themselves. They often use force to drive away the snail body and seize the shell. But in most cases, snail shells are captured by force from other hermit crabs. At the beginning of the struggle, the attacker first waved the big chelate foot to clamp the defender, and then hit the defender's shell with the spiral shell he carried. When the fight is fierce, the two shells click, the defenders are exhausted and overwhelmed, and the attacker will overturn the opponent as a whole, making the loser face upside down. At this point, the attacker will carefully examine each other's spiral shells to see if they are suitable for their own sojourn. If you like it, you will pull the loser out of the shell and move in by yourself. The loser had to pick the winner's shell and live temporarily, and a battle came to an end.

It's a struggle and a deal.

"I was born in the same water, so why should I be in such a hurry?" Why do they fight each other? After research, scientists believe that a struggle like hermit crabs is both a struggle and a deal. This kind of transaction is a typical behavior of mutual benefit of animals. For hermit crabs, spiral shells are like our clothes. The clothes are too thin to fit, too fat to fit, and inconvenient to move. Similarly, the snail shell is too narrow for hermit crabs to live, and the snail shell is too fat to live, but the burden is heavy and it is difficult to walk. Who doesn't want to live in a spiral shell of the most suitable size? If there is a small hermit crab living in the big shell and a big hermit crab living in the small shell, the two happen to meet and struggle, and through collision and friction, the big hermit crab gets a big spiral shell, while the small hermit crab gets a small spiral shell, the deal succeeds, and it has the best of both worlds.

Scientists have also observed that if the defender's shell does not fit his body, the time of the struggle will be short, it will be easier to surrender the shell, and the struggle for shell replacement will soon be over. Although the weak are losers in the struggle and leave themselves an abandoned shell, most of the abandoned shells are of the right size, with some losses and gains, no gains and no losses.

A fashionable hermit crab

Of course, the shell-changing struggle of hermit crabs starts not only from the size or weight of the shell, but also from the new and old shell and the integrity of the shell. Hermit crabs also seem to be "fashionable", scientists have found. They care not only about the size of their clothes, but also about style. If the clothes fit again and the style is old, they still have to be replaced, especially for the bad shells with holes and cracks in the body, they should be replaced as soon as possible.

Hermit crabs also have their own preferences for spiral shells. Generally speaking, most hermit crabs like to live in a spiral shell with a round mouth, which is light and convenient to get in and out. There are also some hermit crabs who like to live in flat or flat spiral shells, but do not want to have a round mouth when they are used to it. That's because after peeling, when they are soft, they live in a flat snail shell and grow into a flat shell. The short, fat hermit crab can't get into the flat snail shell at all.

There is a kind of hermit crab called "hermit crab" who has to live in a fence shell. Although the shell of the fence is large and heavy, the mouth of the shell is flat, which suits their figure. In particular, the surface of the fence shell is smooth and novel, which is very popular with the residents. Hermit crab carries it to walk on the beach, chic and unrestrained to all the crabs, feeling the boundless scenery.

Fresh, intact, beautiful and well-fitting shells are not everywhere, but have to be fought for by struggle. Strong hermit crabs encounter the ideal spiral shell is absolutely impolite, always have no scruples to seize. The weak are always unable to keep their spiral shells, either picking up abandoned shells or temporarily losing their "house".