Hermit crab ID

SpiffWilkie · #1 11/10/2007, 06:52 PM

I've tried looking this thing up, but I can't seem to find a picture that looks like my crab here. I just wanted to find out what kind it is.
Thanks.

LeslieH · #2 11/11/2007, 11:26 AM

I wasn't able to find a match either. Are the colors right or are they changed by the camera?

SpiffWilkie · #3 11/11/2007, 01:52 PM

They're pretty accurate. I'll try and take a clearer shot later though.
The spots vary from a creamish color to orange.

SpiffWilkie · #4 11/11/2007, 05:30 PM

Here's a clearer picture:

LeslieH · #5 11/12/2007, 02:36 AM

Much better! I can even see the color of the eyes & eyestalks which are important characters. Do you know if it came from the indo-pacific or the Gulf/Caribbean?

philter4 · #6 11/12/2007, 03:03 PM

Nice hermit, I love smaller "reef" type hermits, but only keep things I collect myself. LeslieH, not like any atlantic hermit I have seen, if that helps with id.

LeslieH · #7 11/12/2007, 05:40 PM

Philter4 thanks for the info. I still can't find a good match. It might be in the genus Clibanarius. There are a few crabs which look similar but they don't have bluish-eyestalks with orange eyes, red flagellae, & red antennae, and spots on all the legs like this one does. Sorry Spiff.

If you want to know about food habits do a search on Clibanarius and keywords like "feeding" "food" "prey" "diet". That should get you some relevant information.

SpiffWilkie · #8 11/13/2007, 12:50 AM

Thanks for the help.

spoon671 · #9 11/13/2007, 10:13 PM

In the second picture of the bristleworm, that crab in there looks like a "Tongan Hermit". I don't know if that's accurate at all, but my LFS has a ton of those crabs and that's what they called them.