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| "What does that big eye belong to? Will it eat me?" |
Even in a protected tank, with no predators, life can be difficult. This hermit is missing most of one antenna. The other is fine, just bent back behind his shell.
Mostly, the hermits and crabs get along peacefully, but when it's feeding time, tempers can flare. They snatch at the food that another has captured; sometimes a hermit retires into his shell, carrying the shrimp pellet with him. Another of the hermits, or maybe a crab, will spend several minutes poking inside the shell, trying to steal the food. Never mind that the thief is probably straddling two or three pellets, just as fresh. No, he wants that one! Forbidden fruit always tastes better.
Or a hermit will chase another across the tank, grabbing at legs, antennae, shells, trying to slow down the other to take away that delicious piece of shrimp. So one of the crabs is missing her back leg. Another of the hermits has lost two legs on one side.
Never mind; they manage fine with only three or four legs and one antenna. The food comes down regularly; they're in no danger of starving. Or of being eaten by a gull because they didn't hide fast enough. Here there are no gulls.
(This hermit's shell has grown a crop of green algae and it looks as if a tribe of copepods is feeding on it.)
You must have hours of entertainment with your leggy friends! And, I know, rather a lot of "housework" too!
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