Hermit crab in a whelk shell

Hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus) in a Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) shell.

Hermit crabs live in empty sea snail shells and can be found on rocky shores. They have tough pincers and a soft body and use their hooked tail to grip their borrowed shell. As they grow, they move into larger shells.

Common whelks have a conical shell and are the largest sea snail found in the UK. They live on sandy seabed’s below the low tide mar