Sexing

 

 Both the male and female hermit crabs look alike in outward appearances.

 The difference lays beneath the crab far within it’s shell.

On the last pair of legs, on the underside of the crab, a female has what are called gonophores. Gonophores are the sexual openings where the male releases its sperm into the female, and later eggs are released from them. The gonophores are located on the underside of the 3rd pair of legs, or the last pair of walking legs. The only way of seeing the gonophores is if your crab will come out far enough on his/her own. Do not pull your crab out of its shell. The crab would rather lose its legs that to be forced out of its safe haven.