hermit crabs ID???

[saltyj]

Hey guys,
I am up in north Florida in pensacola (gulf of Mexico), my aunt lives on the beach and I have seen these hermits in the water and I was wondering if I could bring some back with me and put them in my tank. I know that it is not good to get things from the ocean, but I jsut want to know if they are reef safe. They have brown legs and they are very small, about the size of a dime. Thanks for the help. :joy:

 

[clarkiiboi]

ID's are hard with crabs. IMO, I wouldn't try it unless I knew for sure what it was. Saying "they have brown legs and they are very small, about the size of a dime" could be a number of crabs. It's your tank though.............

 

[obtusewit]

The most common hermit on Florida beaches is Pagurus pollicaris, the flat clawed hermit crab, Which is probably what you have. If the legs are long and pinkinsh, you have Pagurus longicarpus, the long leg hermit crab. Usually they are brownish with yellowish or lightbrown striping on their legs and claws. These guys are not reef safe, not fish safe, and not spectacular enough to keep. They will eventually reach about 1.5 inches and will need a ever growing selection of new shells provided.
They cost about 4 to 6 bucks a dozen and make great bait!
More info here
http://www.mbl.edu/marine_org/marine...veal&myID=BX99