Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans, a subphylum of crustaceans and the superfamily Paguridae. Hermit crabs are detritovores, meaning they feed on dead organic matter, including plant detritus. Hermit crabs tend to use shells from other animals. The shell covers their soft abdomen and regulates humidity inside, which is very important for the gills. They have a segmented body and exoskeletons which are an external skeleton. Hermit crabs can live on land and at sea. Most hermit crabs tend to be small. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Hermit crabs are very picky when it comes to choosing their shell. They tend to use borrowed shells, primarily sea snail shells. A variety of mechanisms such as shell strike, olfactory cues, and visual queries have been shown to transfer information about the quality of 'a shell. As a hermit crab grows, it must take into account that it will continually grow and grow, so the shell it chooses should be a little larger than its actual size. If a crab chooses a shell that is too small or the same size as itself, it will eventually die or if it is a female in this situation, it will become sterile and may not be able to reproduce. Additionally, if the shell is too large, it can cause pressure on the hermit crab and possibly its death. So it is very important that these hermit crabs choose the right shell to settle in, otherwise it can cost them their lives. A more dominant crab is able to initiate a shell change with a subordinate crab which can result in a higher quality shell. Hermit crabs also rate shells by color, if the color is too vibrant and noticeable they may disregard it as it can be easy. so that predators can spot them. Tactical indices are also used to gather more precise information about shells. They can also use their antennae to detect chemical signals. Hermit crabs use their chelae and moving legs to assess the inside of the shell and also to make sure the opening is the right size. They can reject the shell at any point of review, if they think it is not of high quality or to their liking, only after making such decisions they will then decide to move into the new shell or not. Keep in mind: This is only a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a personalized essay Cracked or holey shells are not suitable for hermit crabs because the shell must be able to hold enough water to keep the gills moist. Hermit crabs are very social creatures and tend to live in groups. Hermit crabs that live together sometimes tend to help each other find shells. Four examples of crucial topics in animal behavior research, namely: mechanism, fitness, phylogeny and onotogeny. To conclude, hermit crabs are very picky when it comes to choosing their shell, many factors affect which shell they can occupy or not..