Calcinus latens

Calcinus latens, the hidden hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae.^[1]

Calcinus latens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Anomura
Family:	Diogenidae
Genus:	Calcinus
Species:	C. latens
Binomial name
Calcinus latens (Randall, 1840)

Description

Calcinus latens is a small hermit crab, ranging in shell size from 2 to 7 mm (0.08 to 0.28 in) long, distinguished by olive green bodies, dark-tipped legs, and varying-sized claws, with the left being larger than the right.^[2] There is significant sexual dimorphism within the species, with males and intersex hermit crabs typically larger in size than females.^[3] Reef ecosystems can provide little visibility, so the C. latens relies on chemosensory structures to explore, protect, and hide in its environment.^[4] Even with certain chemosensory abilities in its environment, the C. latens will frequently lose in competition for shells with another species in the same genus, Calcinus laevimanus.^[5]

Distribution and habitat

Calcinus latens is a common hermit crab species distributed throughout the tropical Indo Pacific region, including areas such as Australia, Japan, the Eastern Coast of Africa, and Hawai'i.^[2] It inhabits coral reefs, hiding under rocks and rubble in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, at depths up to 5 m (16 ft).^[2][6]