The eye stalks are long and cylindrical and the antennal scales are thorny and nearly cover the bases of the antennae.

[3] Paguristes eremita is native to the Mediterranean Sea and adjoining Atlantic Ocean, where its range extends from Portugal to Morocco.

Its depth range is 10 to 50 m (33 to 164 ft) and it occurs on sandy stretches of seabed and in seagrass meadows among the Neptune grass.

It is often associated with the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica, epizoanthids, hydroids or the sponge Suberites domuncula which attach themselves to the shell.

The main predators on this crab are loggerhead turtles, larger crustaceans, octopuses and certain fish.