Parasite on hermit crab??
- Thread starter Queeery
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Sharkbait19
10K Club member
Picture isn’t very clear, but it looks like a chiton. If so, good guy!
The pic is pretty blurry for me, but it looks like it may be either a chiton of some kind (beneficial algae eaters) or an isopod of some kind (some are beneficial, some are parasitic).
Small creature on hermit crab's shell. What is it? Is it harmful? Thanks.
Queeery
New Member
Thanks - I found another one on this guy and two more on another hermit. If they were chitons, (which I'm pretty sure they are after some research), they wouldn't do any harm on the hermit crab's shell would they? It just seems strange that they would be so concentrated on the crab's shells (4/4 that I've found have been on hermit crab shells) if they just ate algae.
Chitons would be totally harmless algae eaters. Parasitic isopods would be bad, but I’m not sure if there are any that sit on the hermit’s shell. I agree it’s weird that you’ve found all four on hermit shells. If you want to check the ID, you could pick one of them up - if it curls into a ball, it’s either a chiton or a safe isopod; if it doesn’t curl into a ball, you look at its underside and see if it has a snail-like, gooey foot - if it does, it’s a chiton, if not, then it may be an isopod.
Queeery
New Member
Picked a couple up, and they did in fact curl into balls. Thanks for the help! I guess the reason they're on the crabs is still a mystery .
