Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Arthropoda · Class: Malacostraca · Order: Decapoda · Family: Diogenidae · Genus: Dardanus.

Accepted name: Dardanus pedunculatus · Authority: (Herbst, 1804) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 208702.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Cancer pedunculatus Herbst, 1804; Dardanus asper (De Haan, 1849); Dardanus haanii Rathbun, 1902; Neopagurus horai Kamalaveni, 1950; Pagurus asper De Haan, 1849; Pagurus haani (Rathbun, 1903); Pagurus pedunculatus (Herbst, 1804); Pagurus sigmoidalis Zehntner, 1894.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=208702 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Dardanus pedunculatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Depth range: 1–95 m · Habitat zone: benthic.

SeaLifeBase notes: Found along the littoral to sublittoral zones (Ref. 77016). Inhabits intertidal seagrass areas on sandy bottoms (Ref. 81753).

Anemones attached on shells (Ref. 8423). Occasionally removes and eats sea anemones from its own shell as well as from others' shells (Ref. 102678). Observed to chip valve ends of tridacnid clams in aquaria (Ref. 108392).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 21041) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Dardanus-pedunculatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

999 georeferenced occurrence records for Dardanus pedunculatus are published through GBIF from 42 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 165 distinct locations from a sample of 999 records, omitting 47 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Indonesia (286); Philippines (250); Australia (225); Hong Kong (41); Japan (20); Malaysia (20); Papua New Guinea (19); Saudi Arabia (16); Chinese Taipei (15); Vanuatu (14); New Caledonia (10); Timor-Leste (7); Réunion (6); Thailand (6); Fiji (5).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone; Madagascar; Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone; Mayotte Disputed area: France / Comoros; French Polynesian Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2224420) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2224420&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=208702 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Dardanus pedunculatus has a broad distribution in the Indo-Pacific region, from the Seychelles in the west to Japan and Hawaii in the east. In Australia, it is found from New South Wales (as far south at Port Jackson) to Queensland.

D. pedunculatus usually lives on coral reefs and in the intertidal zone, at depths of 1 - 27 m. It usually carries sea anemones on its shell, which it uses to protect itself from its main predator, cephalopods of the genus Octopus. The anemones are collected at night, and comprises the crab stroking and tapping the anemone until it loosens its grip on the substrate, at which point it is moved onto the gastropod shell that the hermit crab inhabits.

Dardanus pedunculatus usually attain a maximum size of 10 cm. The carapace is mottled in tan and cream, while the eyestalks are white with red bands. The sexes are similar. The left claw is much larger than the right claw.

Hermit crabs are popular pets in marine aquaria, and Dardanus pedunculatus is occasionally kept, although the species has not been successfully reared in captivity.

Dardanus pedunculatus was first described by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst as Cancer pedunculatus, in his 1804 work; the type locality is not known.

It has since been placed in a number of different genera, including Pagurus and Neopagurus, and a number of taxonomic synonyms have been created.

Source: Wikipedia: Dardanus pedunculatus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanus_pedunculatus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.