General Description

Front right leg with large claw (cheliped), especially large in males where it is swollen and has a ridge along the inside. The smaller left cheliped is triangular in cross-section. White shield-shape marking with two red dots on top of the body. Up to 2 cm wide (carapace).

Biology

Clarrie's Hermit Crab was named after the late Clarrie Handreck, a knowledgeable amateur marine biologist from Victoria where the species is common. The females are so small that they can carry only a few eggs inside the shell.

Distribution

Southern Australia.

Habitat

Intertidal and subtidal rocky reef, to depth of 45 m.

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