Intertidal fishes and invertebrates are adapted to survive the challenges of this harsh and wave-swept environment, yet excessive or careless handling of animals can cause injury and death. Indeed, the behavioral patterns associated with living in shells which permit the shell to serve as a microhabitat constitute the major adaptation enabling the hermit crabs to exploit the intertidal environment so successfully. The best way to view a tide pool is to approach and then wait quietly next to the poolsoon its various residents will be scurrying around. The shell also provides some protection from predation, particularly from non-specialized predators. As members of the "benthic detritus-feeding guild" food is abundant, and by utilizing their shells in conjunction with movements within the littoral zone they have met successfully most of the rigors of the environment. Larvae are behaviorally adapted to overcome the pounding surf at the mouth of most streams, by either using the wave action of the incoming tide, or by swimming. Hermit crabs have successfully exploited most intertidal environments. Escape from specialized predators may also be important. The continual replenishment of food brought from the sea, particularly for detritus-feeding animals such as hermit crabs, coupled with the possibility and ability to establish microhabitats with microclimatic conditions may constitute the principal advantage. The disadvantages of the biotope in terms of exposure to physical factors of both the marine and terrestrial environments are patent, but the advantages are not so evident. As an ecotone, the littoral environment is often complex and is generally rich in numbers and species of organisms.
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