About Dardanus pedunculatus (J.F.W.Herbst, 1804)
Dardanus pedunculatus (J.F.W.Herbst, 1804) usually reaches a maximum size of 10 centimetres, or 4 inches. Its carapace has a mottled tan and cream pattern; its eyestalks are white with red bands. Males and females have a similar appearance, and the left claw is far larger than the right claw. This species has a broad distribution across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from the Seychelles in the west to Japan and Hawaii in the east. In Australia, it occurs from New South Wales, as far south as Port Jackson, north to Queensland. Dardanus pedunculatus typically inhabits coral reefs and intertidal zones, found at depths between 1 and 27 metres, or 3 to 89 feet. This hermit crab usually carries sea anemones on its gastropod shell, which it uses to defend itself against its main predator, octopuses from the genus Octopus. The crab collects sea anemones at night: it strokes and taps the anemone until the anemone loosens its grip on its substrate, then moves the anemone onto the shell the hermit crab lives in.
