Pagurus samuelis, the blueband hermit crab, is a speciesofhermit crab from the west coast of North America, and the most common hermit crab in California. It is a small species, with distinctive blue bands on its legs. It prefers to live in the shell of the black turban snail, and is a nocturnal scavenger of algae and carrion.
Pagurus samuelis is a small hermit crab, at up to a total length of 40 mm (1.6 in) and a carapace width of up to 19 mm (0.75 in).[2] The base colour of the exoskeleton is brown or green,[2] but the antennae are red, and adults have bright blue bands near the tips of their legs.[3] In smaller individuals, the bands may be white.[2] The legs and carapace are covered in setae, and the rostrum at the front of the carapace is triangular.[2]
In the breeding season, males carry females on their backs, sometimes for more than a day.[3]Eggs are produced from May to July, and are carried on the female's abdomen, inside the shell.[3]
Dave Cowles (2005). "Pagurus samuelis (Stimpson, 1857)". Key to Invertebrates Found At or Near The Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory (a campus of Walla Walla University) Fidalgo Island, Anacortes, WA. Walla Walla University. Archived from the original on 2010-11-15. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
Media related to Pagurus samuelis at Wikimedia Commons
