Aspects of local population and gastropod shell use of the land hermit crab Coenobita brevimanus (Decapoda: Anomura) in Amitori, an abandoned village on Iriomote Island, Japan

Research on the land hermit crab Coenobita brevimanus in Amitori, an abandoned village on Iriomote Island, Japan, reveals a population exceeding 1000 individuals with higher recapture rates than previously observed. These crabs, which rely on discarded shells of edible marine gastropods like Turbo (Marmarostoma) argyrostomus, grow significantly larger compared to populations in adjacent uninhabited or inhabited areas without shell middens. The study found that Amitori's hermit crab population uses a higher proportion of abraded and broken shells, suggesting a preference for either small, undamaged shells or large, damaged ones. While the crabs' growth and abundance depend on a continuous supply of new gastropod shells, the uninhabited status of Amitori may lead to a future decline in large crab proportions. The research employed mark-recapture experiments to estimate population size and analyzed shell use patterns, providing insights into the ecological impact of human abandonment on these crustaceans.

DOI, W., MIZUTANI, A., YOSHIOKA, M., KAWAI, K., & KOHNO, H. (2019). Aspects of local population and gastropod shell use of the land hermit crab Coenobita brevimanus (Decapoda: Anomura) in Amitori, an abandoned village on Iriomote Island, Japan. Japanese Journal of Benthology, 73(2), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.5179/benthos.73.75