Close-up of a hermit crab in a shell with anemone-like tentacles.
Commensal Relationship
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download larger version (jpg, 775 KB).
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.