This is the Common Hermit Crab, Pagurus bernhardus taken in the North Sea. I hope you will be able to see a mass of dull, pink eggs inside the host shell, behind the crab on the right. I have never seen this before and wonder what is happening. If I had ever thought about it before, I would have assumed that hermit crabs, like their other crab and lobster relatives, carried their eggs attached to their under-belly area and lost them as the larvae hatched. Do hermit crabs do it differently - seems unlikely because of the need to change shells periodically. Or could the eggs belong to something else which layed them inside the shell before the crab occupied it? Seems a more likely explanation but any input would be welcome
Jim,
I noticed you posted this twice so I deleted the second one. In future please don't do that again. You can edit a post if you need to change it.
Cheers
James
hermit crabs have the same basic reproduction modes as other crustaceans. The eggs attach to the belly but the attachment strings are long enough for the eggs to lie on one side of the body. That keeps them from being damaged as they would be if held between the body & the shell.
Leslie: Thanks for your prompt response once again
James: Sorry about the dupe post - the first one just seemed to vanish and I got a message "There was a problem...." or words to that effect. So I did it all again!
