Sinistral Land Hermit Crab Discussion (Pictures) LOTS!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:02 am

mars wrote:

Okay....is it just me, or does that crab have two BP's?

This thread is very interesting. I love the crabs the two of you find over there! It makes me want to make a trip over there so I can see them first hand myself!

Kerie, you've got some awesome connections. You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:20 am

I have been just fascinated with this threadâ€¦ I have always had a fascination for sinistral shells and most people dont seem to know much about them (or care!). I have always wondered if LHC would take up residence in them and figured they would since they are found in all sorts of different things. And I always wondered about the BP. That is fascinating that it is the right that is enlarged instead of the left! How does that happen!? Things like this just amaze me, that they would adapt to whatever kind of shell they find. And it is so interesting that the one has two enlarged pinchers.

So are most of the amphidromus in that area sinistral? Im wondering how many generations of crabs it takes before the right BP is the one that is enlarged. Or is it something that develops in each crab, and the size depends on just how much they use it? Ohhhhh, I really want to come study this in person and see it all first hand!

Thank you so much for posting all these photos and I will be continuing to follow this thread with great interest!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:50 am

Fascinating!!!

The Indo with 2 same-size pinchers is just amazing!

Next HCA convention: Indonesia?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:53 am

If it is I will be sure to come

(Indo is nearest neighbour to aus) And I speak basic Indonesian

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:59 am

jsrtist wrote: So are most of the amphidromus in that area sinistral?

Sinistral gastropods are rare in the
environment and so most hermits utilize and are built for dextral
shells. Marine hermits in sinistral shells have been recorded before
from Japan and the Caribbean (Imafuku and Turra, respectively: I think
as I do not have the papers handy?)

So, I can believe that normally dextrally coiled LHC's are perfectly
flexible enough to take up residence in a sinistral shell, especially if
competition is fierce for shells or if dealers hoping to get more money
for these "unusual" hermits, force them into sinistral shells.

Whoa.

I feel pretty stupid after reading all that, so I think I'll just not say anything.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:13 am

From what Ive read it seems that their bodies are flexible enough to adapt to either kind of shell. I have handled "naked" crabbies before and am sure that they could comfortably go into either kind.

The more interesting thing, I think, is that their claws adapt to seal them into whatever kind of shell they choose. What I want to know is how long it takes before that happens, and whether its something that takes several generations to adapt, or if it is based on each individual crab and what shell they choose. Call me a science geek (everyone does, LOL!) but things like that fascinate me!!

Also, I will be interested to know what percentage of amphidromus are sinistral!

Mokulele_Hawai'i · Post by **Mokulele_Hawai'i** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 7:25 pm

ckbythesea wrote: ...

Next HCA convention: Indonesia?

I hope so ... and also hope there will not be anymore Moslem extrimists who plan to "show up their faith"

by installing bombs ...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:47 pm

Wow! I feel like we're a bunch of scientists on the verge of a new discovery... hee hee

In my opinion, I would say that this could be a separate species - although closely related to the cavipe. My Cav's eyestalks are significantly darker, and her eyes are much larger than the crabs in question. Also - the reversed pinchers would seem to set this species apart from the Cavipes. I think it looks like a "Backwards Cavipe"... or an "epivac"

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:57 pm

It's great that we don't have to be scientists to see these guys! I so truely envy you, mars and Mokulele

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:20 am

Mokulele_Hawai'i, could you have been thinking about "Clibanarius longitarsis"?

http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/Bio- ... n.sibs.jpg

Anyways, I'm no Latin guru, but I thin longitarsis may mean "long" and then something to do with "feet", "toes", or "legs".

Mokulele_Hawai'i · Post by **Mokulele_Hawai'i** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:38 am

Tokaia wrote:Mokulele_Hawai'i, could you have been thinking about "Clibanarius longitarsis"?

http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/Bio- ... n.sibs.jpg

Anyways, I'm no Latin guru, but I thin longitarsis may mean "long" and then something to do with "feet", "toes", or "legs".

Thanks a lot for the link ...

Now ... I'm almost sure that the sinistral LHC is just a variety of C.cavipes. One of them had moved into a Turritella terebra ; although only for a short period, then returned to a sinistral land snail shell.

The eyes & limbs (except for the bigger right pincer) look so similar to my other "normal" cavs (with bigger right pincer).

Anyway, I think the purplish legged crabs with occasional red or orange BP (like in the picture below)
have actually been misidentified as C.cavipes. I think their features are more similar to C.violascens.
(especially the fully compressed & bigger eyestalks).

This is the picture of my recently-molted C.violascens and it was his second molt; see the uneaten cheliped skin from his first molting in June - while the one on the right is from his last molting.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Sinistral Land Hermit Crab Discussion (Pictures) LOTS!

What Species are These Sinistral LHC ?