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Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Decapoda > Anomurans > hermit crabs
Blue-elbowed hermit crab
Paguristes longirostris*

Family Diogenidae
updated Dec 2019

Where seen? This beige hermit crab with bright blue 'elbows' is sometimes seen on silty shores.

Features: Body about 2-3cm long, plain pinkish beige. Body and legs a pale pinkish beige, sparsely hairy. Both pincers stout, large and about the same size, with a 'scaly' texture. Bright blue patch on the inner 'elbow' of the pincers. Eyes yellow on thick long orange stalks. Short antennae blue with blue feathery tips. Long antennae pale blue.

Beting Bronok, May 09
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Beting Bronok, Jun 10
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her blog.

*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.


Blue-elbowed hermit crabs on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Changi, Jul 12
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on his blog.


Changi, May 09
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on flickr.

Beting Bronok, Jun 16
Photo shared by Ivan Kwan on facebook.

Blue-spot hermit crab (Paguristes longirostris)
24 Jan 2013, Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey
Photo shared by Arthur Anker on flickr.

Links

References

  • Dwi Listyo Rahayu, 2000. Hermit crabs from the South China Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae, Paguridae, Parapaguridae) (pdf). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2000 Supplement No. 8: 377-404. The National University of Singapore.
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