Gigantic Hermit Crabs Found On Okinawa

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Admin11

Last year, a friend and I stumbled upon a local beach with gigantic hermit crabs. All of the hermit crabs were found adapting with non-native seashells.

Indonesian hermit crab (Coenbita brevimanus)

Where did these shells come from? The shell shack

The shell shack is an old wooden shed filled with boxes of imported craft shells from the Philippines. The hermit crabs found an opening and took advantage of this real estate.

Polished muffin (Ryssota ovum)

The most abundant shell was the polished muffin (Ryssota ovum) land snail. This shell is native to the Philippines and is twice the size of any land snail on Okinawa. The muffin shell is a perfect mobile home for the land hermit crabs. It’s lightweight, durable and large.

perspective photograph

The hermit crabs were healthy and doing well. I didn’t see any hermit crabs adapting with plastic or any twist top caps.

Land hermit crab (Coenobita cavipes)

Land hermit crab (Coenobita cavipes)

I also found hermit crabs adapting with a variety of marine shells from the Philippines at the same location.

Babylonia arealata (Coenobita purpureus)

hexaplex cichoreum (Coenobita cavipes)

Volema carinifera (Coenobita cavipes)

Melanella candida (Coenobita purpureus)

Casmaria erinaceus (Coenobita purpureus)

hexaplex cichoreum (Coenobita purpureus)

Turbo chrysostomus (Coenobita purpureus)

Tonna sulcosa (Coenobita cavipes)

Learn more about hermit crabs and adaptive behavior ” Crabs with beach trash homes ”

My Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations. – If you would like to join my journey, check out my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Hermit Crabs Living In Glass Bottles By Shawn Miller

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Admin11

Trash, treasure and the beautiful beaches of Okinawa.

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to go beach walking. Over the years, I have seen a significant increase in the amount of marine debris washed ashore. The trash is from all over the world, but majority of it washes up from Korea, China and Japan

Maeda flats

This post is not to make people sad, guilty or lose hope, It is to bring awareness to the ongoing trash problem in our oceans and on our shorelines.

Iheya beach

Majority of the glass bottles that wash ashore will eventually break. The resourceful blueberry hermit crabs take full advantage of any broken bottles and twist top caps. They eventually move into this valuable real estate and use it as a protective mobile home until they find a better option.

Marine debris

Broken glass Iheya Island

Hermit Crabs prefer to live in a natural seashell. The most durable home on Okinawa is the silver mouth turban shell.

Hermit crabs feeding

Due to a decline in the number of seashells, the hermit crabs have to adapt with our trash to survive. Below are photographs of hermit crabs found naturally adapting with metal twist caps and broken glass bottles.

Energy drink home

Energy drink home

Glass top Crab

Hermit crabs – real-estate

Metal cap

Hermit crab in a glass

The hermit crab is one of the few animals that can successfully adapt with our waste. If you would like to learn more about hermit crabs adapting with our waste please check out my post on “Crabs With Beach Trash Homes” by Shawn M Miller.

Learn more about making a difference, TEDx talk | Adapting to or Changing Environment by Shawn M Miller

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bringing solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

The lonely hermit crab adapting with a lug-nut cover by Shawn Miller

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Admin11

This week I went out camping with some friends on Miyagi Island. While searching for fire wood I stumbled upon a blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus) adapting with a metal lug-nut cover. I have previously found many hermit crabs adapting with other man-made items such as pet bottle caps, glass bottles, light bulb ends, laundry detergent caps and various scoops. I was pretty excited about this and had to show off the interesting find to my friends.

The blueberry hermit crab is temporarily making due with the available lug-nut cover. It will eventually switch to a shell when it finds an appropriate size. If you would like to learn more about this adaptive behavior please check out my post on “Crabs with Beach trash homes”

* All Coenobita species on Okinawa are recognized as a living natural monument of Japan.

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I also photographed the hermit crab on white for the Meet Your Neighbours Project. The technique eliminates distracting elements out of the background and shows the true beauty of the animal. The images are used for conservation awareness and educational purposes.

Later I offered lug nut a Turbo seashell and within five minutes he switched over to his new home.

Okinawa hermit crab

We were fortunate to have beautiful weather. Don’t forget to get out for some Nature Therapy! We all need a break from our busy lifestyles.

My Mission: To document and preserve the wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Dinah’s Goby – living in glass homes by Shawn Miller

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Admin11

Brightly colored gobies are popular subjects for underwater macro photographers in the beautiful waters of Okinawa. The Dinah’s goby (Lubricogobius dinah) adapts by using man-made objects as a protective shelter. Discarded glass bottles and cans are prime real-estate for a variety of Marine life in the Ocean.

Scientific name: (Lubricogobius dinah)
Common Name: Dinah’s goby
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Sandy bottom, living in shells and bottles
Depth: 20-50meters
Diet: Plankton
Average Size: 25mm

You will need a designated macro lens to photograph this beautiful Goby. Approach slowly and avoid any sudden movement.

Goby glass bottle © Shawn Miller

When threatened, the Goby will retreat into the glass bottle.

The Dinah’s goby © Shawn Miller

I was fortunate to have the goby pose for a photograph.

The Dinah’s goby © Shawn Miller

I used the Light&Motion Sola Nightsea to light up the mouth of the bottle to create this beautiful image.

The shy goby in a more natural home.

Know your nature with Shawn Miller. Have a great day!

Crabs With Beach Trash Homes – Okinawa, Japan

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Admin11

Crabs with beach trash homes is a series I am currently working on. I photograph Blueberry hermit crabs (Coenobita purpureus) that have begun to use beach trash as their home. The crabs are photographed in their natural environment and also on white for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project. The images are used for environmental awareness and educational purposes.

Crabs with beach trash homes © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crabs are commonly found on local beaches in Okinawa. Most crabs are blue but occasionally have color variations of purple, pink, orange and or gray. They prefer to have a seashell as a protective home but when no shell is available they adapt.

Blueberry hermit crabs (Coenobita purpureus)

Blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus) with a seashell © Shawn Miller

Before plastic caps filled our shorelines, hermit crabs adapted using tree nuts if no shells were available.

Hermit crab and tree nut © Shawn Miller

It’s becoming more common to find crabs with beach trash homes. I have friends combing local beaches in search of more crabs for my series. While these are cute images, our trash is becoming a serious problem to the ocean and the animals that call the shoreline home. I often find hermit crabs using a variety of plastic caps from twist top pet bottles, laundry detergent containers, small propane tanks, sports water bottles and beauty supplies.

Possible reason why Blueberry crabs adapt with beach trash

Limited number of available shells causing them to make due with the best homes they can find. This is a good example of adaptive behavior.

Hermit crabs are very social animals and often fight over shells. Having a protective lightweight shell that covers the abdomen (soft parts of the animal) is crucial for survival.

Hermit crabs fighting over prime real estate © Shawn Miller

Battle over real estate © Shawn Miller

A close-up of the sensitive abdomen (photographed using the MYN technique)

Naked hermit crab © Shawn Miller

Hermit crabs are scavengers and take advantage of any food washed ashore. They mainly feed on dead fish, barnacles, other crabs, algae, insects, plants, fruit and various seeds. The screw pine (Pandanus odifer) is one of their favorite foods. I imagine long ago these vital plants lined our shorelines in abundance. Numbers are decreasing due to deforestation.

Pandanus odifer © Shawn Miller

Eventually the fruit drops to the ground and the sweet smell attracts the hermit crabs

Hermit crab feeding © Shawn Miller

The hermit crabs feed on the the fresh keys and help with seed dispersal. They both benefit in this relationship. The Pandanus tree provides shelter, shade, food for the hermit crabs.

Hermit crab and Pandanus © Shawn Miller

Eventually the keys dry, turn brown and litter the local beaches. The dispersed keys provide a perfect environment for hermit crabs to blend in with.

Where the treeline meet the beach © Shawn Miller

Hermit crabs prefer to be in a shell that protects the entire body from predators. Sometimes they have to temporarily adapt with a much smaller shell. The retracted hermit crab tightens up to protect itself. Ball up, play dead and blend into the environment, minimizing the risk of being preyed upon.

Could this be a form of masquerading or just coincidence ? It resembles (mimics) the shape of the screw pine seed to possibly avoid detection from potential predators.

Hermit crab and screw pine seed © Shawn Miller

Hermit crabs have the ability to ball up tight to protect their eyes. (Transformers)

Hermit crab retracted © Shawn Miller

Below are some of my favorite images photographed on a portable field studio board (MYN Technique). The crabs are safely placed on a white studio board, photographed and released back into the natural environment (MYN Technique).

Blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus) with cap © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus) in plastic tube © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus) in plastic top cap © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus) in plastic © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crabs (Coenobita purpureus) in plastic cap © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crabs (Coenobita purpureus) in plastic top cap © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crab- Ryukyu Islands © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crab – Okuma, Okinawa © Shawn Miller

It’s important to photograph the hermit crabs in their natural habitat. I prefer to photograph them using a wide angle lens to achieve a unique perspective.

Meet zori -Wide angle macro © Shawn Miller

Hermit crab- Plastic pollution © Shawn Miller

Blueberry hermit crab, Wide angle macro © Shawn Miller

Meet scoop- Quaker © Shawn Miller

Meet shady – Worldwide trash problem

Hermit crab in a glass bottle- Yomitan, Okinawa.

Meet sparky- using a plastic cap from a cassette gas tank

I also photograph the hermit crabs using a dedicated macro lens. I mainly use the Canon 60 mm or 100 mm macro lens to concentrate on the subject. These crabs are fairly small and it’s important to have a lens that will focus close and deliver high quality sharpness.

Laundry detergent cap - Northern Okinawa

School project ” Crabs with beach trash homes ” My family and I collected trash on a local beach in Onna village. This is just a small portion of our beach trash findings. The kids did a great job creating a project with impact.

Otis Brunner found this hermit crab flattened on a beachside parking lot. As you can see the plastic doesn’t provide much protection.

Behind the scenes photograph ” Crabs with beach trash homes ” I have documented over sixty crabs with beach trash homes. If you would like to see more images check out my Flickr account.

Shawn Miller – Crabs with beach trash homes. Photographed by David Orr

June 10th, 2010 was my first experience seeing a hermit crab with a trash home.

My series ” Crabs with beach trash homes ” has been featured on World Wildlife Fund, Petapixel, Business Insider, National Geographic, Atlas Obscura, Global citizen, Plethorist, Daily Telegraph, Little things, 15minutenews, Roaring earth, Hyperdojo, News.com.au, Follow news, Neotorama, BoingBoing, Insider, Activist, Now100fm and varies Scientific websites.

Planet or Plastic June 2018 featured