The Hidden Hermit Crab Revealed or A Snorkel at Kahalu'u

    It only rained for a few hours yesterday, and with the surf coming down, it seemed like it might finally be time to return to the beach.  Seriously, with the tremendous rain and coincident run off (you figure it out) the beaches were deemed unsafe and those that the authorities' control were closed for five days.  Now that's a storm.

    We made it down to Kahalu'u on a beautiful morning, the sun shining brilliantly, a few fleecy clouds gracing the western horizon.  They might have been gracing the eastern horizon, as well, but then we would have been in Hilo. Wouldn't we?

Calcinus latens, the Hidden Hermit Crab

  Here on the leeward side (in the wake of the nasty Kona Low Storm, the K word has become verbum non grata) the water was cool and clear.  Presumably enough tidal exchanges had occurred to flush away the things we don't want to think about, and the fish were swimming gaily, as if nothing had happened.

   Even at eight AM, full contact snorkeling was in session.  After fighting off an exceptionally ardent competitor I reached the coral and immediately saw a shell clinging to the vertical wall about two feet down.  It wasn't a tiny shell, either, so I was full of hope as I plucked the coralline algae encrusted nugget from the wall.  It's hard to believe, but to that point I had not had a satisfactory hermit sighting in all these five months.  

   As I rolled the shell in my hand, I was elated to see a little fellow emerge.  He answered the bell like a regular pugilist, attempting to pinch me with his tiny claws.  Soon I had the camera at the ready.  Recently our friend Peter had alerted me to the little microscope on the selector wheel of the Olympus camera and to his success taking pictures of microscopic things.  

   So, what the hell. I selected the microscope and, as I floated in the modest current with just enough bumpy waves to make things interesting, vis a vis water in my windpipe, I attempted to photograph the little guy with this super close up feature.  All the while I was keeping us both afloat, breathing...all those good things.

   I was able to tell with my eyes, as opposed to looking at the camera, that this was one of our two crabs that have a constellation of white spots on the elbow of their chelipeds.  Do I sound like a carcinologist?  

     Both crabs are greenish but the tips of their walking legs are dramatically different.  As you can see, this fellow has purple and white socks with tiny black claw-like tips, greenish eye stalks with a white terminal band and blue eyes.  Those azure peepers must drive the lady crabs nuts.  this Romeo is Calcinus latens, the Hidden Hermit Crab.  

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse March 2026, Kahalu'u

    When you see that constellation of spots on the claws, there is a second possibility...Ca. guamensis.  The Guam Hermit Crab is not quite so green, its eye stocks are black tipped with a broad white band, its eyes are black with white speckles and its socks are a simple black stripe.   You may have guessed from the name that it is introduced.  From Guam!

     Thanks to these excellent pictures, I think we have the ID in hand.  Wasn't it lucky that God and St. Peter granted me the opportunity to take one more good hermit crab picture?

   After the hermit was replaced in his coral hideaway, I swam over near the breakwater.  There is a deteriorating chunk of coral that presents itself as valley with a pair of cleaner wrasse that have persisted for over a year.  On this day I got a picture of a cleaner that may suffice.

Crocodile Needlefish, Kahalu'u 2026

    Following that I swam out to the middle, where I saw my first Crocodile Needlefish for this trip.  I've seen bigger; these were only about 20 inches.  One of the duo was sufficiently brave to stay close for a picture.  That I had not seen one previously in the Year of the Horse may speak more to how infrequently I am snorkeling.  Or they may be becoming less common. 

   Ashore Sandra and I had a chance to visit with Kathleen and Haley.  We talked about our recent experience at Kawaihae.  They oohed and ahhred at my nudibranch pictures.  I forced them to look at the nice Ca. latens picture and Haley allowed that the hermit she sees at K Bay is the Cone Shell Hermit Crab.  I had not seen of these this year, despite turning over as many cone shells as I could.  

On the beach: Sandra and Haley

    Haley had recently photographed a Gold Lace Nudibranch at Kahalu'u.  I have only seen one and this is where I saw mine.  Mine was free swimming and I got a picture, but it was not nearly as good as Haley's, who was lucky to encounter the nudi on a rock.  She took my email address and promised to send along her excellent picture, which if she does, you'll get to see it.

    Good Haley, good nudibranch and goodbye from the land of sky blue waters.

jeff

Treat every wayward shell with an appropriate degree pf suspicion!