Terrifying photo of hermit crab using doll for shell appears online

This little hermit crab picked a particularly scary home. Photo / Reddit

A hermit crab has been spotted using a doll's head for a home - with a remarkable resemblance to the Toy Story character Babyface.

The creepy picture is believed to have been taken on Henderson Island, in the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Daily Mail reports.

The little crustacean, which is thought to be a small coconut crab, can be seen sporting the unusual shell on its head.

Commenters were quick to point out the similarities to the Toy Story character Babyface.

One viewer said simply: "Toy Story is REAL!!!"

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But some saw the image as a stark warning about marine litter and pollution.

One commenter said: "I saw this on twitter, the biologist who took the picture was making a point about marine litter."

Another person wrote: "This is actually pretty sad on top of creepy, since things like this is usually a result of a lack of available shells for the crabs, which they need. Don't collect shells with internal parts from beach areas. Crabs need them."