Pagurixus handrecki

Handrecks hermit crab

Pagurixus handrecki, Orford, TAS, Photo: Graham Edgar

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Distribution

Temperate Australasia

Description

Distinguished from several other local species by the longitudinal red stripes on a white background on the legs. By far the most common species of hermit crab found along the southern coast but is generally overlooked because of its small size. It lives in a variety of microhabitats, including among shell sediments, plants and in crevices on reefs.

Information

Max Size: 2 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 10.5-23.7°C

Depth: 0-42m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.

Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Infrequent (1.4% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Several (7 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.

Edit by: extract from GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney