Study of the behavior of shell selection of hermit crab (Diogenes avarus) (Heller, 1865) in response to the type and shape of the shell

Behavior is a unique link between physiology and ecology of the organism and their environment. In this study, the behavior of the visual detection and shell selection of samples of hermit crab Diogenes avarus were studied. So, the samples exposed to the lateral and reverse sides of empty shells of four species of gastropods and the behavior of visual Detection and finally shell selection of samples were observed and recorded. The result indicate that the samples were presented with different views of four shell species, they were significantly attracted to shells of Umbonium vestiarium in lateral and upside-down position and selected it. The lateral and upside-down positions of U. vestiarium mimic the Semi-circle shape. While, it seems that the non-attractive shape like Canoed for this organism so that the lowest attracted to the canoed gastropod shell Certhidea cingulata. Such escape response to some geometrical shapes of shells can be interpreted as an escape response from predators that mimic these geometrical shapes.