Vardhan Patankar
( Aniculus maximus )
These hermit crabs live along shallow waters of less than 15 m around coral reefs and rocky surfaces.
These hermit crabs are recognizable due to their yellow striped and hairy legs, hence getting their name "hairy yellow hermit crab". Usually coming out at night to feed, they live and reside in abandaned shells that they find along the way made by sea snails.
In regards to their diet, like most crabs they are omnivores eating both algae and meat.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Aniculus sp. )
Found in shallower waters between 1-35 m near coral reefs and rocks.
The funny hermit crabs are species that are experts at scavenging or finding unoccupied shells produced by other organisms and make it their own to protect their soft bodies. They usually have a long and curved abdomen that resembles a spiral, this spiral allows themselves to fit perfectly into the shell that they occupy so that they are able to retract inside in case of threats from predators.
They are usally omnivorous and feed on anything that they get their claws on.
Vardhan Patankar
( Dardanus megistos )
You can find them along reefs, seagrass beds and rocky regions at a maximum depth of 50 m.
Reaching a maximum body length of 20cm, they have a bright red body with white eyespots outlined in black. They also have dark red coloured hairs poking out of their body and two white antennae. These hermit crabs have 10 legs, the first pair of them being 'pincers' which they use to catch prey, their left pincer is bigger than the right.
They are opportunisitic feeders, who feed on whatever they can get their pincers on such as small invertebrates like worms, molluscs and sea cucumbers.