Hermit crabs are among the most unique crustaceans because they have a non‐calcified pleon, and they often use empty gastropod shells for shelter and protection. The lack of an adequate shell impacts their growth, reproduction and other population features especially because the shell resource might not be found for the entire population or community. This study focuses on the relationship between hermit crabs and their shells using network metrics. We analysed the nestedness, modularity, network specialisation, species specialisation and species role in eight hermit crab communities from two different types of substrate (rock and soft bottom). Most of these communities had a modular and non‐nested pattern. Some communities presented different specialisation levels in terms of resource use (generalist or specialist) with species showing different roles across communities. These patterns could be related to the intra‐/interspecific competition mechanism and by the resource (shell) usage pattern in the different regions. According to species roles, some species characterised as connectors can be addressed as conservation targets. The network approach in hermit crab/shell relationship proved to be an important tool in assessing their interaction in a community level.

中文翻译：

---

通过互动网络的视角看隐士蟹壳关系：跨社区使用网络指标和物种角色

寄居蟹是最独特的甲壳类动物之一，因为它们的钙化蓬松度很低，而且它们经常使用空腹足动物的贝壳进行庇护和保护。缺乏适当的贝壳会影响它们的生长，繁殖和其他人口特征，尤其是因为可能找不到整个人口或社区的贝壳资源。这项研究使用网络指标关注寄居蟹与其贝壳之间的关系。我们分析了来自两种不同类型基质（岩石和软底）的八个寄居蟹群落的嵌套性，模块性，网络专长，物种专长和物种作用。这些社区中的大多数都有模块化和非嵌套的模式。一些社区在资源使用方面（古生物学家或专家）表现出不同的专业化水平，物种在整个社区中表现出不同的作用。这些模式可能与种内/种间竞争机制以及不同地区的资源（外壳）使用模式有关。根据物种的作用，可以将某些以连接器为特征的物种作为保护目标。隐居蟹/壳关系中的网络方法被证明是评估它们在社区一级相互作用的重要工具。