Most people are saying shell, but they're wrong! The correct answer is internal/external skeleton depending on if it is molted or not.
a shell
a sea shell is the protective outside that is picked up by crabs and used as armor and they are found near the sea because they washed up on shore
Simply, a "shell change".
No hermit crabs inspect a new shell inside of their cage the they pull them self out of the shell and then drop them self into a new shell. there are videos on youtube.com of crabs changing shells. so provide your crab with extra shells. i am a hermit crab owner i have watched my crabs change shells it is called molting.
Soft shell crabs are soft and are eaten with the entire crab. Soft shell crabs are actually hard shell crabs that have shed their shells to allow for growth. Shells do not grow with the crab. Crabs retain a soft shell when they shed their hard shells; then that soft shells begins to harden-up as the crab grows.
The animals that have shells are:LobstersTurtlesCrabsSnailsHermit CrabsMussel [Sea Creature]ArmadillosNorthern Horse MusselNorthern Moon SnailShrimpsWharf CrabAtlantic Horse Shoe CrabSome of these animals might not have a protective shell.
Soft shell crabs are in season May through July.
Crabs have no inner skeleton like humans do so the shell is its skeleton but on the outside of its body. The shell protects the crab from injury.
some crabs, like hermit crabs
The scalps of Cowboy Ocean shell crabs who try to invade their territory.
protective shell in marine foraminiferans
They aren't; they need a shell.