mattybecks
Active Member
Hey guys,
I was wondering what kind of hermit crab this is?
Location:
Found in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There are quite a number of these guys at the beach here (not exactly on the beach, they stick to the rocks from 1m - 5m down, maybe deeper but I cant go down that far and check).
Appearance:
Video shows him nicely I think, so not much to say here apart from that he is big (his shell is 8.2cm long at its widest) and those claws are super sharp. He is one of the bigger ones.
Feeding behavior:
I have been trying to grow a decent colony of Aptasia (yes I know this is not considered "normal" behavior, but I find them quite pretty), and over the past few months I had managed to get a few growing of different sizes. I added this crab to my tank, from which he immediately changed his shell to a better one I had, and then ate all the Aptasia I had. In only a few hours all gone. Not one was left.
I have about 15 standard green/blue mushroom corals dotting the rocks. He investigated these but left them all alone. None have been touched.
Tank mates are 8 x yellow tail damsels, 2 x Allardi clowns, 3 x blue legged hermits, 1 x long spine sea urchin. He has not bothered anyone.
Here is another strange part, he doesnt like eating shrimp or meaty foods (I assumed he would be predatory) on all occasions I fed and tried to feed him, but spends his days picking at rocks and going through the sand.
Here is another video of a smaller one:
Thanks for your help in advance.
