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In this side view the slight coiling of the "house" is seen. The house is made of the hydroid Hydractinia milleri. The egglike structures are gonozooids of the hydroid. The hermit crab gives no sign of being stung by the hydroid. Some other species of hermit crabs, known to be symbiotic with Hydractinia, also do not seem to be vulnerable to their sting while some other hermit crab species are.
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This dorsal view of the head shows the smooth carapace, the lack of tufts (setae) on the dorsal margin of the cornea, and the fully exposed eyescales with a single terminal spine and no median dorsal furrow.
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The carpus of the left chela is longer than the merus. The carpus of the right chela is about 1 1/2 times as long as wide and is not extremely flattened (the carpus is the last segment visible on the right chela here, as the propodus and dactyl are folded underneath as the animal crawls along). The merus of both chelae has a prominent white band on the terminal end.
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The 2nd and 3rd dactyls are not striped, do not have ventral spines, and are not obviously twisted in relation to the propodus. This is a view of the merus (top right, spiny), carpus (spiny), propodus, and dactyl of the right second leg.
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This ventral view of the right cheliped shows that the ventral side of the merus (to the left of the sharp turn, or "knee") does not have any prominent tubercles.
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This X-ray view of the above live animal shows that there is a small gastropod shell at the base of the Hydractinia house. The shell is about 5 mm long. Digital X-ray compliments of Julie Kellogg, DDS and Tietan Dental Clinic.
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Pagurus dalli, from about 20 m depth at Mukilteo. The "shell" on its back is composed mostly of a colony of Hydractinia milleri hydroids. (Photo by: Dave Cowles)
