Strawberry land hermit crab
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[Photo] This photograph was taken by Vanessa Pike-Russell and is available online at http://www.crabstreetjournal.com/photos/entrants/thumbnails.php?album=11

The strawberry land hermit crab (Coenobita perlatus) is a species of terrestrial hermit crab. They give preferences to shells with a round opening like turbo shells and tonna shells.

Coenobita perlatus have pronounced striations (stitch marks) on their large pincer (about 4-7 of them) in a pattern similar to Coenobita rugosus and to a lesser extent Coenobita compressus. They are noted for their bright red colouring and white granual markings. They can be 18 mm in length.

Juvelines are white with red antennae, but as they grow and moult, their orange and red colouring appears. During their younger years, they are more of a pale red or orange colour. As adults, they are very red. Their eyestalks are the same colour as their body and are thick. Their walking legs are thick and strong for climbing.

C. perlatus are native to the Indo-Pacific region, specifically Madagascar, Japan, and Australia and in other areas around the Red Sea and the Pacific.

In Australia they are restricted to islands and coral cays of the Great Barrier Reef where they have been found to scavenge on sea terns, tortoise eggs and other crabs.

They are most active at a relative humidity of about 80% and a temperature of about 80°F (27°C).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_land_hermit_crab

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