http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/di...tentPK=2875493
A
hermit crab at one of the Westcountry's leading aquariums has snapped up a transparent new home - complete with a live-in cleaner.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust donated two hand-blown glass shells to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay.
And although aquarium staff doubted the crab would drop his comfy whelk shell for a designer home, he moved within a week.
Not only that, but a friendly worm has taken up residence in the back of the shell.
Aquarium manager Richard Smith said yesterday: "It's what we call a symbiotic relationship. The worm stays in the bottom of the shell and cleans up the food while he gets moved around the tank by the hermit crab.
"It's really interesting for our visitors because normally all you can see is a whelk shell, and if you're lucky you get to see the shell moving.
"Now, it's really great to see the hermit crab and to be able to see the worm as well, especially when they are fed because the worm comes out to feed as well."
At least one of the pair of donated shells is believed to date back to the 1930s when it was hand blown by glass makers Pilkington Glass at its St Helens factory in Lancashire.
The shell was built to the specifications of Lawrence R Brightwell, a former curator of Brighton Aquarium, Daily Mail columnist and cartoonist, and a well-known animal artist.
Mr Brightwell wanted to study the crab's internal workings without damaging its shell.
Supervisor Matt Slater said: "We were all rather sceptical that a crab would voluntarily choose to move from the relative safety of a discarded whelk shell into a clear glass one.
"However, within a week of putting it into his display he had swapped over. It's a little roomy for him at the moment but apart from that he appears to be very happy with his bizarre new mobile home."
He added: "Crabs are always on the look-out for a better shell and from his point of view, the glass version must have looked more attractive."
In the wild, shells offer such safety that hermit crabs are often active during the day and can be seen out in the open, secure from the unwanted attentions of would-be predators like gulls and other seabirds. Hermit crabs usually make use of the discarded shells of other creatures to offer protection for their soft, vulnerable bodies. Some of their legs have adapted to grasp the shell from inside.
The crab's head, claws and two pairs of walking legs protrude from the front of the shell but can be drawn inside if danger looms, with the entrance blocked by their large right claw.
