shelldwellers
Shelldwellers are a class of marine crustaceans first described in the late twentieth century by marine biologists studying deep-sea sponges. The group is distinguished by its hard, calcified exoskeleton that forms a protective shell, which has led to the common name. Shelldwellers belong to the infraorder Crustacea and are closely related to the Decapoda. They are typically found in the mesophotic to bathyal zones of temperate and tropical oceans, where they inhabit crevices of coral reefs or the upper layers of soft sediment. Their shells resemble a miniature pearl oyster, with a flattened underside that allows them to cling to substrates and resist water currents.
The anatomy of shelldwellers consists of a segmented body divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen. The
Behaviourally, shelldwellers are primarily nocturnal. During daylight hours they retreat into crevices within the shell, and
Research into shelldwellers has expanded our understanding of deep‑sea ecosystems, particularly in relation to biogeographic distribution