During a recent evening exploration of southern Okinawa, we stumbled upon a large cluster of terrestrial hermit crabs heavily infested with hitchhiking mites; this was the first time we had witnessed such an infestation on wild hermit crabs.
This is an example of phoresy, a biological interaction where one organism uses another for transportation. These mites possibly function as symbiotic cleaners, feeding on debris, fungi and algae.
Take a closer look! You can see tiny mites clustered along the gastropod’s siphon canal, suture line, ridges, and spines.
The mites seem to prefer murex and turban seashells. utilizing the natural ridges and crevices to hold on tight.
If you look closely enough, you can see juvenile mites making themselves at home in the ridges of the murex shell.
The mites prefer old weathered turban shells with established algae growth.
The mites avoid glossy moon snail shells since they fail to offer any support.
We’ve been to this location five times and still haven’t seen a hermit crab living in plastic. The reason is simple: the coastline still has plenty of empty, natural shells available.
If you are a beachcomber, please consider leaving some shells for the hermit crabs. Hermit crabs are not born with shells. They depend on discarded seashells for survival. ” No Shell No Life “
It is illegal to collect hermit crabs from the wild on Okinawa. All terrestrial hermit crabs of the Ryukyu Islands are a living national treasure of Japan.
Mission: Protect and preserve the wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands fro future generations.
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