This hermit crab supports the heavy shell of a gastropod with its four pairs of ambulatory legs, shielding its soft abdomen inside.

It features a unique and exotic color pattern, sporting alternating bright blue and black stripes on its legs and olive green chela with white speckles on the ends.

[2] Calcinus elegans primarily makes its home in shallow tidal and subtidal regions found within the Indo-West Pacific, stretching from Eastern Africa to island chains just south of Hawaii.

[5] Some sightings have even been reported at various locations in Japan including the Ryukyu Islands, Izu, Ogasawara, Kochi, Boso, and the Kii Peninsula.

[2] Its distribution primarily follows the path of the equator; these places are known to have tropical conditions such as higher ocean temperatures, clear waters, and little primary productivity.

Those with cowrie or variable worm shells often remained in shallow waters, refraining from entering the subtidal areas out of fear of predation.

Studies conducted using simulated surges show that shell shape influences the ability of Calcinus elegans to withstand wave action.

In the event that it is unable to locate shelter, Calcinus elegans will withdraw into its shell for defense, only emerging when it feels safe or the scents of danger have passed on.

[10] Calcinus elegans are nocturnal omnivorous detritivores, exploring seagrass beds at night to scavenge for detritus and larger decaying plant and animal matter.

Low pH environments degrade calcium carbonate rapidly, creating a large amount of structural instability within the hermit crab’s primary defense system.

In return, the hermit crab provides them a settling ground as well as transport to new environments, which may contain more nutrients for the cnidaria in the form of detritus or microorganisms.

However, relationships with other organisms can prove to be complicated and are not always symbiotic; some cnidaria interfere with reproduction and may even increase a hermit crab's risk of predation.