Mystery Hermit Crab

[paulroberts1975]

Morning All

I bought 3 hermit crabs at the weekend. Supposedly 3 blue legged. Two are clearly blue legged. But one is most definitely not. It doesn't seem to be aggresive toward the other crabs or fish but it does sit on my life rock and picks a bit too hard and bits go into the water. Can anyone help tell me what it could be. It's got black legs from what I can see. Red antenna if that's the right word and seemingly black claws with white spots. I just don't want him causing any issues if I keep him in there.

Thanks

 

[smitten with ocean life]

@ISpeakForTheSeas

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@ISpeakForTheSeas

Morning All

I bought 3 hermit crabs at the weekend. Supposedly 3 blue legged. Two are clearly blue legged. But one is most definitely not. It doesn't seem to be aggresive toward the other crabs or fish but it does sit on my life rock and picks a bit too hard and bits go into the water. Can anyone help tell me what it could be. It's got black legs from what I can see. Red antenna if that's the right word and seemingly black claws with white spots. I just don't want him causing any issues if I keep him in there.

Thanks

Any chance of white light pics of the hermit? A lot of hermits can look remarkably similar superficially, so clear, white light pics to help show the true colors and form are really useful.

If not, I might be able to try and figure out an ID anyway, but it would be a bit harder.

The legs, claws, antennae, and eyestalks (sometimes the eyes themselves too, but generally not) are all useful ID characteristics for these, so good job trying to describe most of those.

 

[paulroberts1975]

Any chance of white light pics of the hermit? A lot of hermits can look remarkably similar superficially, so clear, white light pics to help show the true colors and form are really useful.

If not, I might be able to try and figure out an ID anyway, but it would be a bit harder.

The legs, claws, antennae, and eyestalks (sometimes the eyes themselves too, but generally not) are all useful ID characteristics for these, so good job trying to describe most of those.

Hi therem thanks for the reply, this is a slightly better picture ( hopefully)

 

[BonnieB]

I would go with whatever @ISpeakForTheSeas ends up telling you but this looks like a white spotted hermit crab (c. Cavipes). There are hairy though and yours doesn’t look hairy by the picture. But the rest of the features seem to align, white spots, red antennae, very dark parallel eyestalks, light white stripe going down one of the claws.

 

[paulroberts1975]

I would go with whatever @ISpeakForTheSeas ends up telling you but this looks like a white spotted hermit crab (c. Cavipes). There are hairy though and yours doesn’t look hairy by the picture. But the rest of the features seem to align, white spots, red antennae, very dark parallel eyestalks, light white stripe going down one of the claws.

the claws when i look closely do look slightly hairy

 

[BonnieB]

I would go with whatever @ISpeakForTheSeas ends up telling you but this looks like a white spotted hermit crab (c. Cavipes). There are hairy though and yours doesn’t look hairy by the picture. But the rest of the features seem to align, white spots, red antennae, very dark parallel eyestalks, light white stripe going down one of the claws.

the claws when i look closely do look slightly hairy

I’ve never had one but my friend did and hers got really hairy, so perhaps you have a juvenile. Hers was in a 180g reef for many years without issue and stood out amongst her other crabs!

 

[paulroberts1975]

thanks, i would like to know what it is, i actually fished it out yesterday as there was a blue hermit ripped out of its shell dead, but then i realised it was a moult, so he went back in lol

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

I would go with whatever @ISpeakForTheSeas ends up telling you but this looks like a white spotted hermit crab (c. Cavipes). There are hairy though and yours doesn’t look hairy by the picture. But the rest of the features seem to align, white spots, red antennae, very dark parallel eyestalks, light white stripe going down one of the claws.

Isn't c. Cavipes a land hermit crab?

 

[paulroberts1975]

Isn't c. Cavipes a land hermit crab?

When I looked at that it did appear so

 

[BonnieB]

Isn't c. Cavipes a land hermit crab?

When I looked at that it did appear so

Yes, you are absolutely right, I put the wrong species, my bad! I’d definitely wait for I Speak Fir The Seas to give you the correct id! I would ask my friend what hers was but she’s out of the country.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I have these same hermit crabs, way better than blue legs imo. I had to remove my blue legs because they kept trying to kill a feather duster right after I added it. These are way better and they seem to eat more algae instead of lay around and be useless. I dont know the Latin name but I think these are called "Mexican red legs" in the hobby.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I have these same hermit crabs, way better than blue legs imo. I had to remove my blue legs because they kept trying to kill a feather duster right after I added it. These are way better and they seem to eat more algae instead of lay around and be useless. I dont know the Latin name but I think these are called "Mexican red legs" in the hobby.

Clibanarius digueti or something from that genus I think, ISpeakForTheSeas may have a better ID when he gets back to you.