A Colorful Crab of the Caribbean: The Purple Pincher

A Caribbean Hermit Crab, also known as a Purple Pincher.

by Bailey Davis

Caribbean Hermit Crabs, also known as Purple Pinchers, are one of 600 species of hermit crabs. They are one of the most common and live in tropical places like Florida, Belize, Venezuela, and the west Indies. They will have one large claw which helps them to fight predators and protect themselves while their other main claw they use for eating. They have four other pairs of legs that help them to move around and navigate different terrains. They are nocturnal so they do most of their traveling at night and can last a long time on land because they are able to hold water in their shells to keep their gills moist. They are primarily terrestrial so they spend much of their time on land scavenging for food unlike marine crabs who spend most of their time in water. 

They like living in mangrove swamps, coastal forests, and other coastal wetlands. Most of the time they like to hide under different types of vegetation, in holes, and within root systems to hide during the day before going out at night to hunt. Estuaries like ours in Tampa Bay are perfect for these critters because we have mangroves and lots of beach vegetation. They like to scavenge for their food so they're not too picky, they will eat anything from small dead fish to rotting fruit, leaves, and pretty much anything they can find. 

Although these crabs are pretty popular as pets, with adequate care they can live to be 30+ years old and grow to be the size of a coconut. Even with great care these crabs rarely last more than a few months in captivity, so they are much better off in the wild. They are also much more of a commitment than most people realize so it is always important to do your research before buying an animal.