-“Hairy” hermit crabs- I just purchased two medium sized (approx 3″ shells) “hairy crabs” from my favorite fish store. I have looked at everything I can find on the internet pertaining to these crabs to no avail. Since I rely on info I obtain from the internet to learn about new purchases I am stumped by the lack of info on my crabs. I placed one crab in my 55g reef tank with LR and one coral. It also has a large yellow tang, 7 assorted damsels, a brittle star and a goby. Is the crab a danger to any of these already established animals. The other crab went into a 75g tank with a blue tang (approx 8″) and a carpet anemone. I am just stocking this tank as it’s only 3 months old. Also since they seem to be of the hermit family should I keep several larger shells available for them to use as homes. Thanks for all the info your website brings to those of us who are less than marine biologists. Janie

In the event the this type of crabs was competitive I could of course get him or her back towards store as well as have things far more compatible to own my personal tanks

Marine Hermit crab reproduction methods – 7/ Hello WWM Crew, Paul Mansur here today> I’m a long time reader and fan of the site. Glad to hear> This is my first time writing (because the site is so darn comprehensive and all my other questions have been answered before! I have 2 scarlet reef hermits in my 10g Nano and just want to know if they are hermaphrodites or distinctly male or female. My guess is the former, but their behavior makes me wonder. I think I have seen them mating. They both went down into a big, secluded hole in the live rock and faced each other and sort of interlocked legs and came partially out of their shells so the soft parts were exposed.

One to crab is significantly big and competitive and you will try prominent during this “interaction”. The smaller even more inactive crab is certainly one We later saw starting lightweight larvae at night (I found myself shining a torch involved). He has got spawned a couple minutes currently. I can not appear to come across a response on if they’re dioecious or hermaphrodite inside my guides (You will find guides from the Fenner, Delbeek and you may Sprung, Tullock, mais aussi al). I am aware it is not out of planet shattering characteristics, however, I became simply interested. Thank-you beforehand! I do believe You will find an answer for you but it’s predicated on Ca variety (about relates to warm varieties as well). This is basically the answer Personally, i obtained today regarding a part out of exploit Dr. Robert Toonen Secretary Research Teacher, School off Hawaii during the Manoa University regarding Ocean and you will Planet Science and you may Technical, Brand new Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology I’m hoping this will help to.

I have never ever elevated all prominent tank kinds (instance blue- or red-colored-legs), but You will find increased many of the local California kinds

It does associate together with your results: “There clearly was a large amount of variability one of additional hermit crabs within mating choices, but I will try to make you some practical generalizations. At the very least the newest larvae try relatively easy to increase by comparison to most inverts. Having one exception to this rule, most of the hermit crab varieties in which I’m familiar brood the larvae on the exterior (but in the layer) up to they complete the nauplius stages (initial phase larvae, the same as a child brine shrimp), this period may differ anywhere between on the 1 and 12 months, according to varieties. The brand new females after that release both zoea otherwise megalopae (simply enjoy terms for much more-and-elderly larval grade) and this generally feast upon phyto- and you can zooplankton.