Coenobita


The genus Coenobita contains 21 species of terrestrial hermit crabs. Several species in this genus are kept as pets.

Ecology

Coenobita species carry water in the gastropod shells they inhabit, allowing them to stay out of water for a long time.

Distribution

The majority of the species are found in the Indo-Pacific region, with only one species in West Africa, one species occurring along the Atlantic coast of the Americas, and one species occurring on the Pacific coast of the Americas.
ImageSpeciesAuthorityYearDistribution
Coenobita brevimanusDana1852Indo-Pacific
Coenobita carnescensDana1851Pacific Ocean
Coenobita cavipesStimpson1858Indo-Pacific
Coenobita clypeatus1787Western Atlantic
Coenobita compressus1836Eastern Pacific
Coenobita lilaRahayu2016Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia
Coenobita longitarsisDe Man1902East Indies
Coenobita olivieriOwen1839Pacific Ocean
Coenobita perlatus1837Indo-Pacific
Coenobita pseudorugosusNakasone1988Indo-Pacific
Coenobita purpureusStimpson1858Japan
Coenobita rubescensGreeff1884West Africa
Coenobita rugosus1837Indo-Pacific
Coenobita scaevola1775Indian Ocean, Red Sea
Coenobita spinosus1837Polynesia & Australia
Coenobita variabilisMcCulloch1909Australia
Coenobita violascensHeller1862Pacific Ocean

Taxonomy

Coenobita is closely related to the coconut crab, Birgus latro, with the two genera making up the family Coenobitidae. The name Coenobita was coined by Pierre André Latreille in 1829, from an Ecclesiastical Latin word, ultimately from the Greek κοινόβιον, meaning "commune"; the genus is masculine in gender.