Common Name: Pink-clawed Hermit Crab

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific region. In Australia recorded from the Timor Sea and Queensland south to Sydney in New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Frequents onshore and offshore reef areas, sea grass beds. Depth to 27 m.

Additional Notes: Short, thick eyestalks with distinctive red and white banding. Large pink claws with short spines. Often has small symbiotic sea anemones attached to shell, Verrillactis paguri and Calliactis polypus, see photographs. Carapace length up to 25 mm, total length to 70 mm.

References: Davie, Peter. Wild Guide to Moreton Bay and Adjacent Coasts. Second Edition. Published by Queensland Museum. Vol 2, p.223.

Poupin J. and M. Juncker, 2010 – A guide to the decapod crustaceans of the South Pacific. Published by CRISP and SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia, 320 pp., 366 photographs. Pp.234-5.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Dardanus+pedunculatus. Accessed 13/11/2018.