Hello Hermit … Crab

On the beach with the kids this week and we found a beautiful hermit crab in its shell. All we could see was its blue claws.

Hermit Crab
A shy hermit crab at Miracle Beach Provincial Park. Hello!

I thought that with those blue claws this would be an easy crab to identify. I think that it might be a very worn Grainyhand Hermit (Pagurus granosimanus) which is described as having raised blue dots on the chelipeds but I’m not sure.

Regardless, it was fun to watch and the kids were fascinated with the blue chelipeds. If you can identify this hermit crab let me know!

Hermit Crab
With a two year old and an almost four year old nearby, perhaps hiding in the shell is a good idea. Good-bye!