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Diogenes heteropsammicola is a species of hermit crab that lives within "walking corals" of the genera Heterocyathus and Heteropsammia. [1]

Diogenes heteropsammicola in a walking coral (left) and swimming freely (right)

These coral have an internal cavity that is typically occupied by a symbiotic sipunculan worm; in the crab's habitat in the Ōshima Straight south of Amami Ōshima, it is often found inside the corals instead. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b Igawa, Momoko; Kato, Makoto (2017-09-20). "A new species of hermit crab, Diogenes heteropsammicola (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Diogenidae), replaces a mutualistic sipunculan in a walking coral symbiosis". PLOS ONE. 12 (9): e0184311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184311. ISSN  1932-6203. PMC  5606932. PMID  28931020.{{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format ( link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI ( link)