The Hermit Crab Breeding Archive exists to preserve the history of captive land hermit crab breeding and the work of the hobbyists who helped build our understanding of raising Coenobita in captivity.
Much of this history was originally documented on personal websites, blogs, forums, social media, photographs, and informal breeding journals. Over time, many of those sources have disappeared. In some cases, only fragments remain. This archive brings those records together so the knowledge—and the people who contributed to it—are not lost.
What the Archive Preserves
The archive documents both successful captive breeding and breeding attempts. Success is an important part of the historical record, but it is not the only part.
Unsuccessful and incomplete attempts have also contributed observations about spawning, larval development, feeding, water conditions, metamorphosis, and the challenges of raising marine larvae through to land. Preserving those experiences helps show how captive breeding knowledge developed over time.
Records may include original accounts, photographs, timelines, surviving websites, archived copies of lost websites, videos, forum discussions, social media posts, and other documentation connected to a breeder’s work.
A Collaborative History
Early captive breeding pioneers often worked largely on their own, experimenting with methods and documenting what they learned. Later breeders increasingly shared their work, compared observations, and built upon the experiences of those who came before them.
That collaboration eventually developed into organized breeding efforts such as the Hermit House Captive Breeding Project, founded by Mary Akers, where breeders could share their work openly and learn from one another.
The archive preserves records from across that history—from the earliest documented projects through current captive breeding efforts.
Help Preserve the Record
There are almost certainly breeding records we have not yet found, as well as photographs, notes, and other documentation that exist only in personal collections.
If you have attempted to breed land hermit crabs in captivity, your experience belongs in the historical record whether or not you successfully raised a juvenile to land.