Can someone I.D. this hermit crab?

saltymist

saltymist

Member
This guy and my dwarf lion fish have been going at it, and Im not sure who would win in the end. The crab recently grabbed hold of one of my lion fishes "eyebrows" (for lack of a better term), but didnt do any damage, the lion fish stayed where it was letting the crab do this, and I guess when it got to be too much he just pulled away from it.
But Im concerned that this hermit crab may do damage to the lionfish overall and would just assume remove it before that happens if people feel I really should.
Heres a snapshot of it.
 
saltymist

saltymist

Member
That thing protruding from its rear end does look like an anenome, but it seems to be able to retract at will completely into the shell, so I assume it's not an anemone attached, but rather part somehow of the crabs structure or body. But I could be totally wrong.
I also notice that if I spooke the crab by quickly getting out of my chair and moving towards it the anemone looking thing quickly retracts into the shell which leads me to believe that the crab is controlling it.
 
stapler

stapler

Member
Its just an anemone crab...I dont think the anemone is actually connected to crab, but attached to the shell. Its just there to help protect the crab.
 
aegiale

aegiale

Member
I had the same crab with the same anemone on it. I was advised to take it out of my tank because it would harm the fish, but I never did and no one was ever hurt. He finally died last year and the anemone has since attached himself onto a rock. Perhaps it depends on the size of your crab. They can be harmful... especially to slow-moving fish.
 
omniexist

omniexist

New Member
Just my opinion. I distrust all crabs.
I had around 5 supposedly reef "safe" hermit crabs. None bigger than an inch. Well, I saw them make a go at my queen conch not once but twice! The first time one of the hermits was clamped to the conch's shell and it had to work vigorously to throw it off. The second time on of the hermits actually traversed the length of my tank and LIFTED the snail out of the sand like it was some kind of anthropod Hercules! I didn't let the situation get any farther than that and it was out for all of them.
If I had to go for hermit crabs again I'd pick the scarlet legs. They seem the most docile.
 
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