Acadian Hermit Crab

The Acadian hermit crab, also known as Pagurus acadianus, can be found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, including areas such as the Vineyard Sound. In addition, the Acadian hermit crab has been cited as the most abundant species of crab in Salisbury Cove, Maine by William C. Grant, Jr, during his extensive study of hermit crabs populating this area in 1961.

The diet of these organisms, like many other species of hermit crab, includes macroscopic animals and detritus, due to the fact that hermit crabs are classified as omnivorous detritivores. In addition, the bulk of their nutrient intake comes from detritus, classified by many marine scientists as “marine snow”. They consume their food sources through proteolytic enzymes that split carbohydrates and lipids.

Though very little is known on the specific reproductive behavior of Pagurus acadianus, information on their adolescence was attained by Roberts during his laboratory studies of this species. Roberts found that the incubation period of the larva is approximately 30 days, and the optimal temperature during gestation is 55.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they hatch, the size of the eggs is about 0.58 by 0.64 millimeters, and can be distinguished by varying hues of red and yellow coloration, in addition to distinctive eyespots. Both larval and adult Acadian hermit crabs are often confused with the closely related Pagurus berhnardus, or the common marine hermit crab of western Europe, and this comparison has been the focal point of many scientific evaluations, as demonstrated by Benedict's work.

Some of the threats to this species include a microbial infection, which is the result of the fungus Fusarium solani. This fungus causes lesions, attack of the dermis, and mixed inflammatory response, therefore reducing the organism's ability to fight off infection. In addition, larval parasitic nematodes, such as Hysterothylacium aduncum, have been reported to infect this species of hermit crab and hosts itself as a parasite within the individual. One to three of these parasitic nematodes were observed per hermit crab by David J. Marcogliese during his study of nematodes of the past of Eastern Canada, and defined Hysterothylacium aduncum as intestinal parasites.