Allometric shell scaling drives ontogenetic shifts in preference and performance in a hermit crab data set

This dataset contains the raw data used to analyze shell preference and size-dependent performance trade-offs in the hermit crab Calcinus californiensis. The dataset includes individual-level measurements of hermit crab body size (body mass and shield length), shell characteristics (shell species, shell mass, shell dimensions, and internal volume), and physiological and behavioral performance metrics.
Specifically, the dataset comprises:
(i) shell preference data for small and large hermit crabs choosing between Nerita scabricosta and Stramonita biserialis shells;
(ii) scaling relationships between hermit crab body mass and shell traits (shell mass and internal volume); and
(iii) functional and physiological responses of hermit crabs occupying different shell species, including standard metabolic rate, muscular strength, righting maneuver duration, and walking speed.
All data were collected from intertidal rocky pools at Troncones, Guerrero, Mexico, in May 2024. The dataset supports the analyses and conclusions presented in the associated manuscript examining how allometric changes in gastropod shell morphology are associated with size-dependent shell use and performance in hermit crabs.