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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2025
We report on four brachyuran crabs collected from the carapaces of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta nesting on Yakushima Island in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. Three of these crab species have not been previously reported as epibionts on sea turtles. Our research suggests that physical damage to a turtle's carapace, such as cracks and holes created by other epibionts like the burrowing barnacle Tubicinella cheloniae, can create unique habitats for these opportunistic crabs.