Petrochirus diogenes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Petrochirus diogenes | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Anomura |
| Family: | Diogenidae |
| Genus: | Petrochirus |
| Species: | P. diogenes |
| Binomial name | |
| Petrochirus diogenes | |
The giant hermit crab[1] (Petrochirus diogenes) is a species of marine hermit crab. This species lives in the Caribbean Sea, and often inhabits conch shells.[2] This species of hermit crab is large enough that it can inhabit a fully grown shell of the queen conch. It will attack and eat a conch, thus obtaining a meal and a shell.[3] It was originally described by Carl Linnaeus as Cancer diogenes;[4] the specific epithet honours Diogenes of Sinope.[5]
