Like other hermit crabs, Clibanarius vittatus lives inside the empty shell of a gastropod mollusc.

The chelipeds (claw-bearing legs) and claws of Clibanarius vittatus are small, both the same size, and covered in short bristles.

[3] Clibanarius vittatus is found in shallow parts of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic Ocean.

It is more resistant to desiccation than many hermit crabs and is found in the intertidal zone as well as at depths down to about 22 metres (72 ft).

It can be found on sand or mud, in seagrass meadows, on rock jetties, in oyster beds and in other inshore habitats.

), the knobbed whelk (Busycon carica), the giant triton (Monoplex parthenopeus), the moon snail (Neverita duplicata) and the Florida rocksnail (Stramonita haemastoma).