Pagurus maclaughlinae
Moving through the Seagrass Meadow substrate with a borrowed gastropod shell in tow, this small hermit crab grazes algae and scavenges organic matter from the bottom and competes with other hermit crabs for the best-fitting shells as it grows.
McLaughlin's Hermit Crab (Pagurus maclaughlinae) is a small saltwater hermit crab recorded in miniBIOTA's Seagrass Meadow. The species has been present since at least December 15, 2024, and five additional individuals collected from the Tampa Bay coast were introduced on June 12, 2026; initially logged as unidentified at the time of collection, they were subsequently confirmed as this species. No precise population count is on record. Species-level identification is assessed as Possible; the common name and scientific name reflect existing miniBIOTA records, but no morphological confirmation is documented.
Name note: Pagurus maclaughlinae was described by García-Gómez in 1983 and is named in honor of Dr. Patsy A. McLaughlin, a prominent carcinologist whose work on Paguridae taxonomy is foundational to hermit crab research across the western Atlantic and worldwide.
Pagurus maclaughlinae is native to shallow coastal marine habitats in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, with a range that includes Florida and the Gulf of Mexico through the Caribbean islands. In Florida, Pagurus hermit crabs are common in nearshore saltwater environments including seagrass beds, sandy subtidal zones, and rubble-strewn coastal substrates. Florida hosts multiple Pagurus species that can overlap in habitat, and distinguishing them in the field requires careful examination.
Paguridae hermit crabs in the Pagurus maclaughlinae size range are typically found in shallow subtidal and intertidal marine habitats, moving over sandy or mixed substrate, seagrass beds, and coastal rubble. They remain submerged or very close to the water surface and do not tolerate extended aerial exposure or freshwater. In miniBIOTA, this species is associated with the Seagrass Meadow and Marine Shore.
Like other members of Paguridae, Pagurus maclaughlinae is an omnivorous scavenger. It feeds on algae, biofilm, detritus, carrion, and small organic particles scraped or gathered from substrate surfaces. Feeding is opportunistic; these crabs move through the substrate picking up whatever organic material is available. They do not function as predators of significant mobile prey.
Paguridae hermit crabs carry an empty gastropod shell as portable shelter for their soft, unarmored abdomens. The right cheliped (claw) is enlarged and dominates over the left, a key distinguishing feature of family Paguridae versus the left-handed Diogenidae. As the crab grows, it must acquire progressively larger shells. Shell acquisition can involve competition with other hermit crabs, including chasing, grappling, and attempting to pull the occupant from its shell. In miniBIOTA, chase and clamp behavior was observed on December 15, 2024 between two individuals both now confirmed as McLaughlin's Hermit Crab; the second participant was originally logged as Long-armed Hermit Crab before the June 2026 identity correction. The specific roles of each individual in that interaction were not differentiated.
Reproduction in Paguridae follows the pattern common to marine hermit crabs. Females carry fertilized eggs attached to the pleopods on the soft abdomen, brooding them within the protective shell until hatching. Larvae pass through zoea and megalopa stages in the water column before settling and acquiring a first shell. Sex determination typically requires examination of pleopods, which are concealed within the gastropod shell. No reproductive observations have been made for this species in miniBIOTA.
Pagurus maclaughlinae requires full marine salinities and subtropical to tropical water temperatures consistent with its Florida and Caribbean range. It is not adapted to freshwater or extended exposure to air. No miniBIOTA-specific tolerance measurements are on record.
McLaughlin's Hermit Crab functions as a saltwater scavenger and algae grazer in the Seagrass Meadow. By consuming algae, detritus, biofilm, and small organic particles, it contributes to substrate cleaning and nutrient cycling in the marine zone. Shell-use behavior creates shell resource dynamics shared with other hermit crab species in the system; the December 2024 chase-and-clamp interaction between two McLaughlin's Hermit Crabs suggests active intraspecific shell competition.
No confirmed predators of this species have been documented in miniBIOTA. In natural settings, hermit crabs of this size class are prey for predatory fish, octopus, and larger crabs. No symbiotic relationships have been documented.
No introduction date is on record for the original McLaughlin's Hermit Crab population in miniBIOTA; the earliest documented appearance is December 15, 2024. Five additional individuals were introduced on June 12, 2026, collected from the Tampa Bay coast alongside Hairy Hermit Crabs and Long-claw Hermit Crabs. These five were initially logged as Unidentified Hermit Crab 1 and subsequently confirmed as McLaughlin's Hermit Crab.
McLaughlin's Hermit Crab has been in miniBIOTA records since at least December 15, 2024. Five additional individuals collected from the Tampa Bay coast were introduced June 12, 2026; these were initially logged as Unidentified Hermit Crab 1 before confirmation. No precise population count is on record. On June 25, 2026, McLaughlin's Hermit Crabs appear still present despite the simultaneous loss of approximately 13 larger hermit crabs (Hairy and Long-claw species) to suspected mud crab predation. The owner proposes that their smaller body size prevented the mud crab from extracting them from their shells. Size-selectivity is inferred, not directly confirmed.
Omnivorous scavenger; feeds on algae, biofilm, detritus, and small organic particles on the Seagrass Meadow substrate. No miniBIOTA-specific feeding observations are on record; role based on published Paguridae ecology.
Requires full marine salinities and subtropical to tropical water temperatures. Does not tolerate freshwater or extended aerial exposure. No miniBIOTA-specific tolerance measurements on record.
No reproductive observations are on record for this species in miniBIOTA. Sex of any individual is undetermined; examination of pleopods concealed within the shell is required for sex determination. Pagurus hermit crabs typically live several years in natural populations; no lifespan data for miniBIOTA individuals is on record.
Grazes algae and scavenges detritus in the Seagrass Meadow, contributing to substrate nutrient cycling. Competes for shell resources with other hermit crab species present in the saltwater zone. No symbiotic relationships documented in miniBIOTA.
Follow this species across the habitats where it currently appears in the miniBIOTA biosphere.
