#speciesoftheweek #speciessunday #hermitcrabchat #clypeatus Body- The body of a hermit crab is made up of the hard thorax and the soft abdomen. The front portion of the thorax is called the shield. The rear part is the branchiostegite chamber (gills) and they are separated by the cervial groove. The soft abdomen is hidden in the shell. The thin covering of the abdomen acts as a lung. The abdomenal appendages of the land hermit crab include the thoracic appendages, pleopods, uropods and telson. The thoracic appendages are used for cleaning the gills, gripping the shell, gripping a mate during copulation. The pleopods are used for brooding eggs. At the end of the pleon is the tail fan, comprising a pair of biramous uropods and the telson, which bears the anus. Together, they are used for steering while swimming, and in the caridoid escape reaction. http://crabstreetjournal.org/?s=abdomen #hermitcrabs #hermitcrabsofinstagram #crabstigram #instacrab #instahermit #claws #pinchers #coenobita #lhcos #csj #crabstreetjournal #clawlife #shelllife #thoseeyestho #allaboutthatpincher #crabby #crabbysquad #properpetcare