Clibanarius fonticola | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Anomura |
Family: | Diogenidae |
Genus: | Clibanarius |
Species: | C. fonticola
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Binomial name | |
Clibanarius fonticola McLaughlin & Murray, 1990[1]
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Clibanarius fonticola is a species of hermit crab from Vanuatu. It lives exclusively in fresh water, the only hermit crab in the world to do so. While a number of other hermit crabs are terrestrial or live in estuarine habitats, and certain brackish water species can tolerate low salinity levels for a time, no other hermit crab spends its entire life in fresh water; the only other fully freshwater anomurans are the South American aeglids.[2][3]
Clibanarius fonticola lives on the island of Espiritu Santo, in a pool fed by springs near the village of Matevulu, close to an abandoned airstrip. Adults of this species all use shells of Clithon corona.[2]