Clibanarius fonticola | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Crustacea |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Infraorder: | Anomura |
Family: | Diogenidae |
Genus: | Clibanarius |
Species: | C. fonticola |
Binomial name | |
Clibanarius fonticola McLaughlin & Murray, 1990 |
Clibanarius fonticola is the only species of hermit crab in the world that lives in fresh water. It is found on the island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. While a number of other hermit crabs are terrestrial or live in estuarine habitats, C. fonticola is the only species that spends its life in fresh water. It lives in a pool fed by springs near the village of Matevulu, close to an abandoned airstrip. The adult hermit crabs of this species all use shells of Clithon corona.