Hermit crabs have a soft belly and live in the ocean. to protect themselves, they crawl into discarded snail shells and use them for homes. which symbiotic relationship describes the association of hermit crabs and snails? a. commensalism b. mutualism c. parasitism d. competition

The relationship between  the  hermit crabs and the snails  is  A.commensalism

Why? Commensalism refers to a relationship where one organism benefits  from the other without  affecting it. In this case, the hermit crab benefits from the  snails, via the latter's discarded shells. The crab's use of the  snails' shells has no impact on the  snails.