Hermit crabs are popular pets but are almost always kept in inadequate conditions that cause suffering and early death.
Hermit crabs have pain receptors and show avoidance learning, indicating capacity for suffering. Most commercially sold hermit crabs are wild-caught, transported under stressful conditions, and sold to uninformed buyers who keep them in painted shells in insufficient enclosures. Without proper humidity, they slowly suffocate. Without saltwater, they cannot properly care for their gills. Most pet hermit crabs experience prolonged suffering before dying prematurely.