§4 Philippine Journal of Science 1919 



the hermits show considerable facility in transferring the anem- 

 ones, it may be that they detach very young ones from rocks 

 in deep water unexplored by us. On one occasion three young 

 hermits (Pagurus deformis) were brought in by collectors, and 

 the shells that they occupied were devoid of anemones. 



Wortley X1 has reported that the hermit crab when feeding 

 may transfer pieces of food with its pincers to the sea anemone, 

 but this behavior has not been observed by me nor, so far as 

 I know, by other workers. In fact the accuracy of Wortley's 

 observation has been doubted. 12 Hermits of both of the species 

 of which I collected specimens at Port Galera usually frequent 

 shallow water where there is a rather heavy growth of eel 

 grass which harbors many small organisms. While it does 

 not seem probable that the hermits feed the sea anemones, yet 

 it must be admitted that the anemones are benefited by associa- 

 tion with them in that the active, wandering life of the hermit 

 crab presents an ever-changing feeding ground. The small 

 colorless anemones attached at the shell's mouth and located 

 directly under the head of the hermit crab undoubtedly obtain 

 food from the hermit crab, but I have never seen them feeding 

 (Plate I). 



It need hardly be pointed out that the sea anemones afford 

 protection for the hermit crab since, in addition to forming 

 a covering which hides the latter, they discharge great numbers 

 of stinging cells when disturbed by an enemy. The crab itself 

 would undoubtedly be a choice morsel for large fishes such as 

 sharks, but it has been pointed out that one mouthful of hermit 

 crabs carrying sea anemones flavored with the piquant stinging 

 cells would satisfy a fish for some time. 



As soon as our collectors at Port Galera began to bring in 

 hermits with anemones on their borrowed shells, I was anxious 

 to see if the former would change their shells and transplant 

 the anemones, as had been reported for a few other species in 

 European waters. Accordingly I placed several individuals in 

 an aquarium with a number of clean, empty Doliurn shells. 

 Nothing of interest happened for some time, but after about 

 two hours one of the hermit crabs became active, took hold 

 of an empty shell, withdrew its abdomen from the shell it was 

 occupying, and inserted its abdomen, almost without examination, 

 into the new shell. In order to have a better chance to observe 

 what might happen, the old shell bearing the anemones and the 

 hermit carrying its new, bare shell were placed in another 

 aquarium. The hermit showed no interest in the anemones 



11 Wortley, S., op. cit. ■ Eisig, H., op. cit. 



