:''The junior homonym ''Coenobita'' Gistl, 1848 is now the moth genus '' Ectropis. The

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Coenobita'' contains 17

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of terrestrial hermit crabs. Several species in this genus are kept as pets.

Ecology

''Coenobita'' species carry water in the

gastropod shell The gastropod shell is part of the body of many gastropods, including snails, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium ...

s they inhabit, allowing them to stay out of water for a long time.

Distribution

The majority of the species are found in the Indo-Pacific region, with only one species in

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, one species occurring along the Atlantic coast of the Americas, and one species occurring on the Pacific coast of the Americas.

Taxonomy

''Coenobita'' is closely related to the coconut crab, ''Birgus latro'', with the two genera making up the family Coenobitidae. The name ''Coenobita'' was coined by

Pierre André Latreille Pierre André Latreille (; 29 November 1762 – 6 February 1833) was a French zoology, zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained hi ...

in 1829, from an

Ecclesiastical Latin Ecclesiastical Latin, also called Church Latin or Liturgical Latin, is a form of Latin developed to discuss Christian theology, Christian thought in Late antiquity and used in Christianity, Christian liturgy, theology, and church administration ...

word, ultimately from the Greek , meaning " commune"; the genus is masculine in gender.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Hermit crabs Terrestrial crustaceans Decapod genera