Abstract

Coenobita clypeatus, the purpleclawed (terrestrial) hermit crab, almost exclusively uses the extinct shells (fossil and subfossil) of the West Indian topshell, Cittarium pica in Bermuda. These coenobitid crustaceans were found to: (1) taphonomically modify the Cittarium shells, and (2) caused temporal reworking of the extinct shells within a modern community. Fossil shells inhabited by these crabs had extreme apertural modifications: missing columellar and umbilicular areas, and outer lip ridges. Additionally, almost all shells possessed a drag mark region. Modern Cittarium inhabited by hermits from the Bahamas have similar modifications, except lack the outer lip ridge. Living Cittarium have no such modifications

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