Global Warming may Expand the Northern Distribution Limit of Land Hermit Crabs

The present study highlights the frontier for expanding the northern geographical distribution of land hermit crab populations by the colonization and overwintering success of Coenobita purpureus. We conducted field surveys and laboratory experiments to elucidate the population dynamics of land hermit crabs on the coast of the Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, which is the northern limit of their geographical distribution. Two land hermit crab species were recruited, C. purpureus and C. rugosus, and C. purpureus was dominant in new recruits. C. purpureus successfully overwintered depending on the low-temperature tolerance trait and grew to the maturity size. Our field study is an important first step for inferring the degree to which global warming is progressing.

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