The Sea Anemone (Calliactis parasitica) and the Hermit Crab (Eupagurus bernhardus)

Abstract

IN the well-known associations between hermit crabs and sea anemones, the crab is generally assumed to play an active part in establishing and maintaining the relationship. This has been demonstrated for Adamsia palliata, and Eupagurus prideauxi ¹, for Calliactis parasitica, and Pagurus arrosor ^2,3 and for C. parasitica, and P. striatus ^1,4. From this it might be expected that the large hermit crab of British waters, Eupagurus bernhardus, also actively assists the settlement of C. parasitica on its shells. Brief comments in a note by Brightwell⁵ and a review by Davenport⁶ suggest, however, that these authors never observed such behaviour in E. bernhardus since they both state that the belief that this crab places anemones on its shells requires verification.