Description: A small hermit crab, with a carapace of around 10 mm. Carapace is usually a pale reddish-brown with some dark and/or white spots. The legs are mostly red. All visible parts of the crab are covered in hairs, including both claws. The upper surface of the right-hand claw is especially hairy and covered in cone-shaped teeth. The claws are uneven, the right-hand claw is obviously larger than the left. Long eyestalks.

Habitat: Found from the shallow sublittoral to around 175 m depth. Reported from a variety of habitats including mud, sand, shelly gravel, maerl, seagrass beds and sometimes hidden within sponges or muddy shells.

Distribution: Found all around Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: Could be confused with other small hermit crabs or juveniles of larger hermit crab species. Pagurus cuanensis is hairier than other species.

Key Identification Features:

• A small hermit crab reaching 15-16 mm in size.
• Pale reddish-brown with some dark and/or white spots
• All visible parts of the crab are covered in hairs.
• Unequal claws, right-hand claw the largest and especially hairy. It is also covered in cone-shaped teeth.

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

iNaturalist: Pagurus cuanensis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Pagurus cuanensis at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Pagurus cuanensis Bell, 1845. AphiaID: 107235.

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