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Pagurus pollicaris is a hermit crab commonly found along the Atlantic coast of North America from New Brunswick to the Gulf of Mexico. It is known by a number of common names, including gray hermit crab,<ref name="ITIS"/> flat-clawed hermit crab,<ref name="Martinez">Template:Cite book</ref> flatclaw hermit crab,<ref name="ITIS"/> shield hermit crab,<ref name="Martinez"/> thumb-clawed hermit crab,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> broad-clawed hermit crab,<ref name="Lippson">Template:Cite book</ref> and warty hermit crab.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
P. pollicaris inhabits the shells of shark eye snails and whelks.<ref name="Lippson"/> It grows to a length of Template:Convert and a width of Template:Convert.<ref name="Martinez"/> The shell is often shared by the commensal zebra flatworm (Stylochus ellipticus).<ref name="Martinez"/>
The diet of the flat-clawed hermit crab comprises organic matter, algae, and sometimes other hermit crabs. Fish are the most important predators of this species.