Halloween Hermit Crab (Ciliopagurus Strigatus)

Species Name : Ciliopagurus Strigatus 

Care Level : Easy

Temperament : Peaceful

Color : Orange, Red

Diet : Omnivore

Reef Compatible : Yes

Water Conditions : 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Max. Size : 2"

Origin : Indo-Pacific

Family : Diogenidae

Supplements : Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine, Trace Elements

Halloween Hermit Crabs (Ciliopagurus Strigatus) make an excellent addition to your reef aquarium. Ciliopagurus is a genus of hermit crabs, of the family Diogenidae, which are sometimes referred to as the "left-handed hermit crabs", because in contrast to most other hermit crabs, the left chela (claw) is enlarged instead of the right. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

At a maximum length of 2″, this is one of the larger reef-safe hermit crabs. Besides their beautiful ornamental looking, the vibrant orange and red banding, stands out as a member of your aquarium cleanup crew, Halloween hermit crabs are very easy to care for.

The Halloween Hermit Crab is a very useful aquarium cleaner that helps maintain a healthy aquarium environment by eating any left over food that may settle on the substrate. A good layer of substrate for the crab to dig around in is definitely recommended.

Adding further value, the Halloween Hermit Crab is known to efficiently eat algae including green hair algae and cyanobacteria. It also provides a valuable service of aerating aquarium substrate by sifting through the sand. Be aware that as the Halloween Hermit Crab attains a large size, this lumbering scavenger may disrupt rockwork or corals in reef aquariums. The Halloween Hermit Crab lives in abandoned snail or triton shells and may resort to attacking and eating a snail so it can use the shell for its home. To prevent this from happening, provide the Halloween Hermit Crab empty shells of assorted shapes and size.

As with many similar invertebrates, the Halloween Hermit Crab is not a species you’ll be able to breed in the aquarium.

In its natural habitat, the Halloween Hermit Crab is an omnivorous reef scavenger that will take advantage of any edible morsel it comes across. If there is an insufficient amount of algae present, the Halloween Hermit Crab will need to be fed dried seaweed, as well as meaty items such as mysis shrimp.

Size: 3/4" to 1-1/2"