Hermit crab with a striped shell covered by a sea anemone, on a sandy seabed.
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Commensal Relationship
We observed this commensal relationship between a hermit crab and anemone during Dive 11 of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition at a depth of 529 meters (1,735 feet). The shell-bearing anemone, Stylobates aeneus, which builds a proteinaceous, gold-colored shell that grows along with the crab, negating the need to change shells over time.
Credit

NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue