PARASITES AND MESSMATES 



213 



the British coasts, Eupagurus pridcauxi, is always 

 found to have a Sea-anemone (Adamsia palliata) 

 attached to the shell which it carries. The Anemone 

 has a broad base which is wrapped round the shell, 

 the mouth, surrounded by the tentacles, being on the 

 under-side next the opening of the shell. There 

 seems no reason to doubt 

 that the presence of the 

 Anemone does afford some 

 degree of protection to the 

 Hermit, and that, on the 

 other hand, the Anemone 

 benefits by being carried 

 about, and shares in the 

 crumbs from the Hermit's 

 meals. It is stated that, 

 when the Hermit removes to 



a new shell, it detaches the Anemone from the old 

 shell with its pincers and places it in position on the 

 new one. It appears, however, that it is not always 

 necessary for the Hermit to remove to a larger shell 

 as it grows, for the enveloping Anemone, as it in- 

 creases in size, extends beyond the mouth of the 

 shell, and so enlarges the shelter. Further, the 

 Anemone in course of time dissolves the shell almost 

 entirely away, and the Hermit is enveloped only by 

 the soft fleshy mantle which it forms. 



In a similar way the deep-sea Hermit Crab Para- 

 pagurus pilosimanus (see Plate XVI.) is always found 



FIG. 67 Hyperia galba, 

 FEMALE. ENLARGED. 

 (After Sars.) 



