This is part III on hermit crabs. Hermit Crab Basics is here, and hermit crab reproduction is here.
Tonight I’d like to focus on hermit crab symbionts. Symbiosis is a relationship between unrelated species of animals. There are several different types, ranging from parasitism, where one species benefits and the other is harmed, to mutualism, where both species benefit from the relationship. With hermit crabs, symbiotic relationships tend to be mutualistic, meaning that although the relationship isn’t neccessary for the the survival of either species, it is nonetheless beneficial to both parties. I’d like to take a look at three symbiotic examples here.