While exploring at a depth of 1,715 meters (5,627 feet) during Dive 07 of the 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration expedition, we encountered this hermit crab resting on the seafloor with a rather sediment-covered shell. Hermit crabs do not make their own shells, but rather move into shells made by other organisms. This particular hermit crab appeared to have taken ownership of the former shell of a snail.
Hermit Crab
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration. Download larger version (jpg, 1.18 MB).

While exploring at a depth of 1,715 meters (5,627 feet) during Dive 07 of the 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration expedition, we encountered this hermit crab resting on the seafloor with a rather sediment-covered shell. Hermit crabs do not make their own shells, but rather move into shells made by other organisms. This particular hermit crab appeared to have taken ownership of the former shell of a snail.