Help with IDing this crab

swimmer4uus

Member
Found it at the LFS closest to me. HAD to have him for my fuge. First impulse buy, which I know is a bad thing in this hobby. But, he's got the whole fuge to himself, so I don't think it was that bad of a purchase.


His claws are on the left side of the "bull horns"
 

bexleyfish

Member
Looks like some kind of hermit in a weird "house." May have just moved into some old shell or coral of some sort.
 

nw2salt08

Active Member
That, my friend, is a staghorn hermit crab. The care level on these guys is considered difficult and must be added to a reef tank with caution.
The Staghorn Hermit Crab lives in a branching shell that is covered with hydroids and bryozoans. The crab itself is a hardy companion for the aquarium, but the shell that it resides in requires specialized care. This shell has multiple branches that resemble the branching SPS coral Acropora. Because of its shell, this crab may not be able to right itself if it were to fall on its back, and will be stung and damaged by corals and anemones in the reef aquarium.
Staghorn hermits are best kept in a biotope system with other filter feeding invertebrates, or in a refugium where the hydroids and bryozoans on its shell can be fed properly with types of live or prepared plankton foods. The biotope system or refugium is an ideal location due to the fact the shell must not come in contact with stinging corals and anemones. The crab itself will graze on algae, and if there is an insufficient supply to eat, supplement the diet with offerings of dried seaweed.
 
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