Hermits breeding or fighting?

Whiterabbitrage

New member
Just found two hermits locked together, one hiding in its shell, the big one gripping it by the shell and sort of poking at it. I couldn't tell if they were going to breed or if the big one was going to eat the little one, so I separated them. Five minutes later they were locked together again. How do I tell if it's romance or murder?
 
Trying to force the other out of the shell to take over its home me thinks. Unless its a different species of hermits that one is trying to kill the other.
 
Trying to steal the other's shell. Giving them a bunch of empty shells will curb but not eliminate this behavior.
 
No, it's not she'll stealing. The aggressor hermit has a shell twice as big as the victim. That victim shell is no where near big enough. Plus there are plenty of shells lying around. I always add to the assortment, because I think it's fun when they change rides. I swear there are some individual hermits that prefer gaudy shells. I swear! But anyway, when they attack for shells, don't they always go for bigger? Plus both times they were locked together right beside a shell that would be a good fit for the aggressor.
I should have tried to get a movie of it. But the aggressor holds the victim so that the opening of their shells face each other. The victim was pulled back deeply into his/ her shell. The aggressor was flapping his face fuzz, what ever those hairs are on his face, he was flapping them like mad, and staring into the victims shell. Then sometimes reaching in and kind of poking. It might have been erotic.....or just really creepy. Can't decide.
 
The 'face fuzz' things are antennae. The really fast flapping means he's interested in something.
They fight anyway. Greedy things. Plus, a hermit usually has to try on a shell before deciding if it fits, even shells that are too large or small.
 
Hermits are mostly blind, they check their surroundings mostly by the hairs on their legs for vibration and the feelers on their face (not antennas).

Say the least, they won't be judging shell size easily, you can trick one into going in a bottle cap if you tried. Their methods of choosing a shell involve sticking their legs in to see if it's a fit, which, wouldn't work out with another hermit in it.
 
EDIT: Actually I don't want to give misinformation so nvm. That you'll have to research. What I put seems completely off from what I'm researching now. I think hermits use the first pair (nonjointed antennules) for communication and information about their surroundings while the second jointed pair you see moving around is used for touch and taste.

It's difficult researching hermits when everybody mentions land hermit and marine hermit anatomy in their papers..
 
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You guys were right! I caught them at it again, and I hung back and watched. The big guy just kept staring and poking the little guy, till the little guy left his shell. He left his shell and had to drag his nekkid butt around the tank for all his neighbors to see. The big guy held the shell up and kind of examined it then tossed it aside.
Wow this was so cool. I always assumed they killed for shells. I did not know they would get the other guy to leave peacefully. Well, sort of peacefully. The little guy was not injured. This was cool to see. Of course later I'm sure my wrasse prolly ate the nekkid one, but still, nice to know the hermits get along.
 
They aren't doing that to be peaceful. The little one left because otherwise the big one would have pried it out and/or killed it. Kinda like how a bully can just intimidate people into giving him their lunch money.
 
They might still do that. Hermits tend to want to try on any shell they think might fit, even if someone else is currently in it.
 
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