LONDON – Oceans around the world are facing a plastic pollution crisis. But there’s one species that may be getting a little too excited about it: hermit crabs.
A chemical that is leaked from plastic dumped in the ocean is probably arousing hermit crabs, according to researchers studying the impact of climate change, plastic and other molecules in the ocean on marine species.
The team of scientists from England’s University of Hull examined 40 crabs found in the waters off the Yorkshire coast and found signs that the crustaceans may be “sexually excited” by oleamide – an additive released by plastics found under the sea.
Oleamide elevates the respiration rate of hermit crabs, which indicates excitement, researchers said, adding that the product is already considered to be a sex pheromone for some insects. “Our study shows that oleamide attracts hermit crabs,” PhD candidate Paula Schirrmacher said in a statement released Tuesday.
“Respiration rate increases significantly in response to low concentrations of oleamide, and hermit crabs show a behavioral attraction comparable to their response to a feeding stimulant,” she said.
Schirrmacher noted that oleamide has “a striking resemblance to oleic acid, a chemical released by arthropods during decomposition,” which may explain way it is mistaken for food and ingested by animals – which potentially increases their consumption of microplastics.
The new findings come as governments around the world continue to grapple with the major issue of climate change and its impact on the planet.
At a recent three-day summit in Cornwall, England, leaders from the Group of Seven gathered to discuss the growing crisis along with other pressing topics. During the June meeting, leaders pledged more-ambitious climate goals and reaffirmed their support to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Without action, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050, a study published by the World Economic Forum in 2016 warned.
More than 8 million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans every year, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which estimated that at least 90 percent of birds have plastic in their stomachs and that 1 in 2 marine turtles have consumed plastic – including bags and straws.
“The problem of plastic in nature, particularly in our oceans, is a global crisis,” the organization said in 2019 as it called on people to work together to help nature become plastic-free by 2030.
This story was originally published at washingtonpost.com. Read it here.
Although most people don't think about crabs as bone crushing, kitten-eating, mastadons of the tropics, most people have never met this terrestrial hermit crab. About the size of a small dog, the coconut crab - otherwise known as the robber crab or palm thief - is the biggest arthropod in the world, often weighing up to nine pounds. These nightmare crabs look more like an alien from outer space than a species of Earth, and their look isn't the only crazy thing about them. There are plenty of creepy coconut crab facts. These guys can use their four-foot long legs to scuttle quickly from place to place; burrow into dark holes in the ground; and even climb soaring coconut trees. Sometimes known to take down a small mammal, the coconut crab is a true marvel of nature and one that continues to frighten and titillate anyone nearby. But while some believe they are harmless beach combers, others have suspected them of much greater crimes. If you love crabs that are scary, look no further than the coconut crab. Life is good for the coconut crab. Found on tropical islands around the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific, these terrestrial critters can live anywhere from 30 to 60 years. Their days consists of napping in shady corners, looking for shiny object, and of course, finding coconuts to eat, which is their favorite food. They are the world's largest arthropods, a phylum of joint-legged creatures that also includes spiders, crustaceans, and other insects. Although the Japanese spider crab is technically larger, it lives underwater where it's weight is supported. To read more on this story, click here:13 Facts Most People Don't Know About The Coconut Crab, The Biggest Arthropod
Hermit crabs make adorable pets but these little packages
of cuteness are high-maintenance and require very exacting care
Hermit crabs are widely believed to be easy to care for,
and ideal first pets for children. Neither of these beliefs is true.
Unfortunately, hermit crabs are very difficult to keep healthy, and they should
be kept in groups. Not only are hermit crabs are not hermit-like at all, they
are gregarious partiers who will keep a crab-party going all night.
You’ve probably seen the clear plastic critter-carriers and
one-gallon fish tanks where hermit crabs are sometimes displayed. These are not
safe homes for hermit crabs. In fact, if the critter-carrier has a standard
“berry-basket” top for ventilation, the crab inside is probably already dying a
slow and painful death. Hermit crabs breathe air through modified gills. They
will drown in water, and they have no lungs. If the gills ever dry out, the
animal is in serious trouble. The resulting death by suffocation can take
months, but it is inevitable. Therefore, maintaining sufficient humidity in the
hermit crab enclosure is very, very important.
This brings us to the topic of equipment.
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT
This list is a very rudimentary introduction to the
equipment needed to keep crabs healthy.
An aquarium tank, marine terrarium, or large covered
enclosure strong enough to contain wet sand. Be sure the cover is tight enough
to prevent the crabs from pushing their way out, that some air can get in, and
that it keeps moisture inside the tank;
Water-conditioning fluid, to neutralize chlorine and its
by-products in the water;
Safe sea salt, of the kind sold for marine fish and
crustaceans;
Safe sand, enough to be a few inches (15cm minimum) deep in
the tank;
Water dishes, sea sponges, shallow food dishes, and a
slotted scoop to remove uneaten food from the sand;
Quarantine tank, which is basically the full set-up in
miniature, for safe moulting;
Hidey-huts for the crabs to relax in, during the day;
Extra shells of the correct sizes and shapes, at least
three per crab;
Thermometers for the sand and hygrometers for the main tank
and the quarantine tank;
Branches and rocks to climb on;
Moss and extra sea sponges for soaking, to help keep the
humidity above 75%; and
Heater for one end of the tank: most hermit crab species
like a temperature of 75-80F/24-27C on the warm end of the tank.
EXERCISE
These cute little crustaceans will keep themselves fit, presuming
their tank is big enough. They love to climb, and crawl, and pull. If you are
very careful, you can “walk” them across your hands held low over a soft
surface. As the crab moves across one hand, bring the other one around in
front. To do this, your hands need to be positioned side to side, and not
fingertip-to-fingertip. Otherwise, the surface will be too narrow and the tiny
crab will become frightened.
FEEDING
Hermit crabs are beachcombing scavengers. As omnivores,
they require both meat and plant-matter in their diets. Unfortunately, the
commercial crab foods do not make a good diet for hermit crabs. They tend to
contain preservatives, but some are safe enough: read the ingredient list. The
real problem is that commercial foods are boring. Crabs don’t like to smell the
same meal twice in a row. They will be happiest if every meal is a little
different: some fish and a touch of apple today, perhaps some chicken and
seaweed tomorrow. (Thacker, 1998).
Wash all fruits and vegetables before feeding them to your
crabs, and use de-chlorinated water to do it. Always do everything you can to
keep your crabs away from chlorine. Meat can be raw or cooked, or even
freeze-dried, but avoid preservatives (including salt).
That’s not to say that everything always needs to be fresh.
Stock up on an assortment of jars of baby foods. Keep some freeze-dried
daphnia, bloodworms, tubifex, and shrimp on hand from the aquarium section of
the pet store. Offer a few pieces of low-salt cat food.
Crabs need calcium. The simplest way to provide it is to
drop a couple of cuttlebones onto the floor of the tank. Cuttlebone is sold in
the pet-bird section of the pet store.
Unlike many animals, hermit crabs need two kinds of water
bowls: one with freshwater and one with salt water. The salt water cannot be
made with table salt, because of the iodine in it. Both bowls need to be big
enough for the crabs to submerge themselves, and easy to crawl out of so the
crabs don’t drown. A piece of sea sponge in each bowl makes a convenient safety
raft.
GROOMING
The hermit crab tank needs to contain a conditioned
freshwater bowl and a conditioned saltwater bowl. The precise details of these
will vary with the particular species you keep.
Along with the water that the crabs will use for “grooming”
themselves, these creatures must be provided with an assortment of appropriate
shells. The shapes will vary, again according to species, but whatever the
species you should provide at least three shells per crab in your tank. The
shell sizes should be slightly smaller than, equal to, and slightly larger than
the crab’s current shell. Please, please, please stay away from painted shells.
The “non-toxic” paints are meant to be non-toxic to your children: they are
generally not safe for your hermit crabs.
HOME ENVIRONMENT
Hermit crabs are primarily nocturnal. They enjoy exploring
their home, re-arranging things, and seeing how many of them can sit on a perch
before it falls over. You’ll hear them clacking away with their claws through
the wee hours. If you do most of your sleeping at night, you probably don’t
want to put the crab tanks in the bedroom.
Also, keep in mind that hermit crabs are invertebrates who
are subject to the same kinds of poisons that are used to kill insects and
spiders. If people in your neighborhood spray their lawns, or if someone in
your house tends to go after spiders with a can of “bug-spray”, hermit crabs
are not for you.
TRAINING
There is no training required for hermit crabs. While you
will need to rescue them from time to time, especially during moults, and
you’ll need to provide appropriate shells for them to choose from, they will
act according to their natures.
WHERE TO NEXT?
Are these little guys right for you? They are adorable, no
question, but they are very difficult for beginners to keep healthy and happy.
In many ways, parrots and the licensed exotics are easier to maintain. Perhaps
consider a dog instead? Or a pony?
If you have decided that hermit crabs are the right pet for
your family, the next step is to do some reading. This care-sheet has only
introduced you to the barest skim off the top of the information you need.
Investigate the details of putting together a proper enclosure, and the details
of shell replacement, and the details of temperature and humidity. Next, put
together the main tank and a quarantine tank, and monitor the humidity and
temperature for a week or two. Once that is stable, seek out several healthy
crabs and a nice assortment of high-quality shells for them.
Waldorf, Maryland - A Waldorf minor league baseball team is abandoning a plan to give away 1,000 live hermit crabs on Opening Day.
After announcing the plan, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs received thousands of emails, calls and posts on social media-- both for and against the promotion.
In response, the team says it will change its name to the "Southern Maryland Hermit Crabs" for Opening Day, which is April 24.
Players will wear special jerseys that day, which will be auctioned off to benefit the Hermit Crab Association. Members from that organization will be invited to throw out the first pitch.
Hermit crab activists will also be given the chance to speak to fans attending the game.
The Hermit Crab Association and its members are extremely saddened to hear of the planned promotional event for the opening day game of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The decision to keep hermit crabs should warrant the same amount of consideration as owning any other type of pet and we believe they should never be given away as prizes because of this. Hermit crabs require specialized care and when given the proper environment should live for decades in captivity - they are not in any way a short lived pet.
Lacking the proper care, these hermit crabs will not live for more than a few weeks or months, which will lead to heartache for the small children of hundreds of fans. The plastic terrarium they will be sent home in is only a temporary transport container, and the initial set-up costs of a proper enclosure with new items will generally start at $100 for anyone receiving one of these "free" hermit crabs. This will place a financial burden on the fans of the Blue Crabs, or on the local animal rescues that will be asked to take them in once the details of their needs are learned.
The Hermit Crab Association is an online international community of hermit crab enthusiasts and owners, and we are not opposed to the captive ownership of hermit crabs. However, we are concerned about the lack of proper information that is provided by pet shops, and from the distributors that import the crabs into the United States.
The fact is that millions of hermit crabs are collected from the wild every year, as there has only been a handful of people in the world who have been successful with breeding them in captivity. Smaller crabs are already 5 years old, and the biggest are well over 40 years old. Many do not make it through the collection process and the transport to stores, and others will succumb from the stress of adapting to life in captivity. Many more will die slow deaths in the following weeks and months in tiny plastic cages from a lack of basic care.
Their needs include an enclosure that is large enough for the crabs to move around comfortably while providing enough space for all of their requirements. They dig underground and stay there without surfacing for months at a time to molt, which is how they repair injuries and grow larger. This requires six or more inches of moist cocofiber or silica-based sand, based on the size of the hermit crab. They need to be provided with dechlorinated freshwater and marine grade saltwater deep that is enough to completely submerge. Their temperature requirements are higher than room temperature at 78-85 degrees, and because of having modified gills for breathing they require humidity that is constantly above 70%, or they will slowly suffocate. They are omnivorous scavengers and their diet consists of fruits, vegetables and plant matter, seafood, insects, meat and poultry. While they are a communal species and should always be kept with others of their kind, they do need to be provided enough individual space that they can retreat from disputes, and so they are not discovered and dug up by other crabs while vulnerable from molting.
We are very much hoping that the team will reconsider the giving away of living animals as thank you gifts at this event. There are many other options available, such as plastic figurines or plushies that can become a permanent reminder of what is sure to be an amazing opening game.
Waldorf, Maryland, - The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Minor League Baseball Team has a special surprise for their fans. They have announced that each of the first 1,000 fans at the April 24 Opening Day game presented will receive a live hermit crab and terrarium container as part of the home opener festivities.
Under the banner of "Anchors Away on Opening Day," fans can expect a plethora of nautical-themed promotions, including the introduction of the entire Blue Crabs roster as players are brought onto the field in luxury sport boats. Fans will also have a chance to win nautically inspired giveaways throughout the night to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.
In addition to live hermit crabs, the first 1,000 fans at Regency Furniture Stadium for the April 24 opener will receive a 2015 magnet schedule presented by Community Bank of the Chesapeake.
Following the inter-divisional matchup between the Blue Crabs and the Somerset Patriots, fans will be able to enjoy a fireworks display and take part in the return of the popular "Launch-A-Ball" promotion.
Tickets for Opening Day are only available at the official Blue Crabs website which can be accessed at www.SOMDBlueCrabs.com.
"How crazy is it that we are giving away live hermit crabs for our first game of the 2015 season - said Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Assistant General Manager Courtney Knichel. "The craziest part about this promotion is the fact that we are doing something that has never been done before, and it is just the first of 70 home games. Fans will just have to wait to find out what else we have in store for them for the other 69 games, but I know that they will not be disappointed."
Have you ever had a hermit crab as a pet? I did…well it wasn’t exactly mine. I don’t remember where I got the idea to get my son a hermit crab. I think it was because he wanted a dog, and we were living in an apartment that did not allow dogs. He was very young maybe around 4 –5 years old.
I got the aquarium and everything all set up and showed it to him. His first response was that he took off running when he saw it move! He came back into the room and looked at it closely and gave me that…what is that look. Then it moved again…and off running he went!
I started to let him watch it eat and he became a little more comfortable with it, however, it didn’t come out of its shell much. I didn’t realize at the time that they are nocturnal.
It’s been years…so I have no idea what happened to the hermit crab. I can assure you as an animal lover, no harm was done to it. I probably gave it away or took it back to a pet shop. We ended up eventually getting him a fish aquarium…and a dog!
Hermit refers to the fact that the crabs borrow the shell that they are in. They have no real "home" of their own, they are hermits. As the hermit crab grows in size, it must find a larger shell.
Hermit crabs are nocturnal scavengers that will eat almost anything. They live in large groups in the wild, and do best in groups of three or more. They wear the label “hermit” because of the shell they carry on their back that they hide in when sensing danger.
Pros
low maintenance
inexpensive
have colorful shells
Cons:
nocturnal
no bonding
not interactive
Anatomy: Hermit crabs are invertebrates, animals without a backbone. They have an exoskeleton, an outer shell that provides support for their body but does not provide much protection from predators. They vary widely in color, from red to brown to purple, with stripes, dots, and other patterns. They have ten jointed legs; the front two legs have large, grasping claws (called pincers or chelipeds) and the rear pair of legs are very small. They have a flattened body, sensory antennae, two eyes located at the ends of stalks, and a soft, twisted abdomen (which the hermit crab keeps hidden inside its shell).
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