The common hermit crab is found throughout NW Europe and is a common sight in tidepools around the British Isles, seen also as far south as the Azores. These dudes can be found in a variety of substrate types from seagrass meadows to wrecks, reefs and kelp forests.
Typically, in crabs, their tail and abdomen has adapted to tuck quite neatly under their carapace, but hermit crabs have evolved to use shells of dead dog whelks and other gastropods to protect their vulnerable tail end. Meaning as they grow, they have to size up in shell and effectively move house.
