UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

This study assessed the diversity, distribution and gastropod-shell utilisation of hermit crabs at the Vador site and GSFC Jetty on the intertidal coast of Sikka, Gujarat, from October 2020 to March 2021. Fortnightly hand collections were undertaken during low tide across sandy and muddy habitats, and specimens were identified to species level. Six species belonging to the family Diogenidae were recorded: four species of Diogenes and two species of Clibanarius. In total, 986 individuals were documented, including 538 from Vador and 448 from GSFC Jetty. Diogenes edwardsii was the most abundant species across the two sites, whereas Clibanariuslongitarsus was the least abundant. Hermit crabs occupied shells of 20 gastropod species, with 717 shell-use records. Cerithiumscabridum was the most frequently used shell species, followed by Eupica scripta, Cerithidia cingulata, Clypeomorus petrosa, Turbo brunneus and Littorina sp. Monthly Shannon–Wiener diversity values ranged from 1.18 to 1.58 at Vador and from 0.94 to 1.58 at GSFC Jetty. Margalef richness ranged from 0.75 to 1.12 and from 0.56 to 1.14, respectively, while Pielou’s evenness ranged from 0.79 to 0.91 and from 0.79 to 0.87. The findings provide a six-month baseline inventory of hermit crab assemblages and shell utilisation along the sampled Sikka coast.