The hermit crab Clibanarius erythropus was first reported from Britain in 1961.
Alan and Eve Southward reported the occurrence of this crab at a number of localities in Devon and Cornwall and showed how the species had become less common (Southward and Southward, 1977). Since that time they continued surveillance at the two sites where the population of the hermit crab survived, on Church Reef, Wembury, S. Devon and on Great Hogus Reef, Marazion, Mount's Bay, Cornwall. No animals were seen at either site in the last two years of surveillance, 1986 and 1987. Records from Alan and Eve's paper have been digitised.
