Description: Body, legs and pincers are a reddish brown, while the antennae are red at the base but occasionally have a bright blue hint or colouration to the flagellum (part of the antennae). No hairs (setae) on segments 2 and 3 of antennule peduncle. Eyestalks are very long and the antennal scale (spine at base of antennae) is long, curved and pointed. Right pincer is much larger than the left pincer, but both are covered in hairs/bristles.

Habitat: Clean sand, muddy sand, shell and gravel substrate from 1 m – 128 m. Also reported from Laminaria, noted to prefer substate composed of detritus, and be most common between 10 m and 60 m.

Distribution: Reported from all coasts of Britain and Ireland, aside from south and west coast of Ireland.

Similar Species: Could be confused with other hermit crabs, especially Anapagurus hyndmanni. In Anapagurus hyndmanni the right pincer is almost hairless while in A. chiroacanthus both pincers are covered in hair, and while both species have long eyestalks they are longer in Anapagurus chiroacanthus. Anapagurus chiroacanthus also does not have long hairs on segments 2 and 3 of their antennule peduncle whereas Anapagurus hyndmanni does.

Key Identification Features:

• Small reddish-brown hermit crab.
• Antennae red at base but flagellum has a blue coloration.
• Very long eyestalks.
• Antennal scale long, curved and pointed.
• Right pincer bigger than left, both are covered in dense hair/bristles.
• No hairs (setae) on segments 2 and 3 of antennule peduncle.

Distribution Map from NBN: Anapagurus chiroacanthus at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Anapagurus chiroacanthus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Anapagurus chiroacanthus

WoRMS: Anapagurus chiroacanthus at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Anapagurus chiroacanthus (Liljeborg, 1856). AphiaID: 107215.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Arthropoda; Crustacea; Multicrustacea; Malacostraca; Eumalacostraca; Eucarida; Decapoda; Pleocyemata; Anomura; Paguroidea; Paguridae; Anapagurus