Use of plastic debris as shelter by an unidentified species of hermit crab from the Maldives

João P. Barreiros a1 and Osmar J. Luiz Jr a2
a1 Departamento de Ciências Agrárias and ImarAçores, Universidade dos Açores, 9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
a2 Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil

An unidentified species of hermit crab from the Maldives was photographed using a plastic box as shelter instead of a natural shell. This could be a result of increased pollution and shell collection disrupting the natural processes in coral reefs.

(in Marine Biodiversity Records)