Paguridae Latreille, 1802

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 179

Family Paguridae Latreille, 1802

The "unequal-clawed" hermit crabs are abundant worldwide, and range from the uppermost tide pools to the continental slopes. South of Point Conception, California, one finds members of the genera Enallopaguropsis , Pylopagurus , Phimochirus or Haigia , in which the major chela is broad and seals the aperture of the shell. These are primarily tropical genera, formerly all considered belonging to the genus Pylopagurus . They usually occur on subtidal rocky bottoms. McLaughlin (1981) performed a taxonomic revision of these genera.

Among species in this family, the posterior pereopods and parts of the uropods may bear roughened areas containing tiny scales or spinules. These areas, called rasps, aid the crab in gripping its covering. The telson and uropods can be asymmetrical.

Species of the Paguridae have been studied extensively. Their characteristic behavior of testing, turning and quickly moving from shell to shell has been subjected to numerous experiments. Elwood & Neil (1992) produced an extensive, illustrated review of hermit crab behavior. The hermit crabs are scavengers, grazers and predators on smaller invertebrates. None of the species of California and Oregon have setose antennae that can be used to capture particles.