Hermit crabs are all over the atypical black sand beaches, where the sand is so dark it exudes an ominous and divinely desolate quality.

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These hermit crabs strike fear into the hearts of seated airline passengers whenever they board, because their shells invariably bang into innocent shins all the way to their seat.

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Ultimately, any threat to hermit crabs could also endanger their ecosystem, since the scavengers play several key ecological roles.

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In a pinch, wild hermit crabs will take whatever they can get, says Rafael Lemaitre, a research zoologist at the Smithsonian Institution.

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Back on shore, the two-room Maria Mitchell Aquarium might be overlooked unless your kids are excited to see local fish and touch hermit crabs.

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