Giant Timor Sea Hermit Crab

The Giant Timor Sea Hermit Crab (Tisea grandis) is the largest of the marine hermit crabs and is found in the Timor Sea to the north of Australia. Like most hermit crabs it has a long, soft, spirally curved abdomen (not visible in this image) instead of the hard, calcified abdomen seen in related crustaceans. The vulnerable abdomen is protected from predators by a salvaged empty seashell carried by the hermit crab, into which its whole body can retract. As the hermit crab grows it must find a larger shell to move into and abandons the previous one.