Identification and abundance of shell occupied by hermit crabs in the intertidal zones of southern Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf

This study was conducted to identification and abundance of shell occupied by hermit crabs in 8 selected stations located in the intertidal zones of southern Qeshm Island. Sampling was conducted during the Dec. 2013. Some of samples of each station were separately fixed in 70% ethanol and were transported to the laboratory. In this study 605 samples of hermit crabs was surveyed. According to our results eight hermit crab species (Clibanarius signatus, Clibanarius virescens, Diogenes avarus, Diogenes planimanus, Dardanus tinctor, Areopaguristes perspicax, Pagurus kulkarniii and Coenobita scaevola) were identified in the intertidal zones of southern Qeshm Island. Our results showed these hermit crabs were occupied with 28, 17, 24, 10, 4, 18, 4 and 3 species of gastropods respectively for protecting their abdominal section. In general 50 gastropod shell species occupied by 8 hermit crabs species. Highest shell occupied by Clibanarius signatus with 28 gastropod shell species. Thais lacera with 13/89% occupations of all the shells was the highest frequent occupied shells. Station 5 (Mangrove forest) had the highest abundance of the hermit crabs and shell occupation.