[4] It could be confused with the orange-claw hermit crab (Calcinus tibicen) which is similar in size, but that species is generally darker in colour and has white patches near the tips of its limbs.

[4] This hermit crab is native to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, its range including southern Florida and the West Indies.

It occurs on coral reefs at depths ranging from the intertidal zone down to about 80 m (260 ft).

[4] The red reef hermit crab is a scavenger, feeding on animal and vegetable detritus.

When these settle on the seabed, the juvenile hermit crabs need to search for a suitable shell to occupy.