Allagalathe elegans aka Squat Lobster hosts anemeones

[Purple Penguins]

I posted this thread in Invert forum but thought here might also be a good spot as well.
So I have recently come across one of these little guys have not yet purchased him yest but I think he is amazing, from all the research I have done on them they live the life of a Porcelain anemone crab and are filter feeders that live on anemones. was wondering if anyone has any experience with them and could shed a little more light on them, they are the neatest looking creature and yet look like evil little buggers thus I have named this one Darth Vador

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[ozadars]

Allogalathe elegans lives on feather stars actually. Yes they are close related with porcelain and hermit crabs. They are not true lobsters (nor porcelain and hermit crabs are true crabs). I am not sure if they can live without a host feather star.

 

[Purple Penguins]

so far have found they live in several different places, feather stars, under rocks, in cracks in anemones, and from what I have seen on some sites came lives easily in captivity, there really is not alot of info on them as far as in captivity

 

[ozadars]

In general, squat lobsters do live in several different places. However, I have yet to see an A. elegans without its feather star host. What you found may be refering to squat lobsters in general actually. I am not insistence on it since I havent kept A. elegans but I havent seen a photograph to claim the opposite either.

Its quite risky to buy one without seeing it between the tentacles of anemone. Even if you see it in an anemone, the species of the anemone should be one that you can acquire.

 

[Lance M.]

I have a Porclein Anemone Crab (Neopterolisthes maculatus) hosting my rock anemone (Epicystis crucifer) and then another one hosting one of my btas.

I like their white color and red/brownish spots.

I don't know anything about the one you are mentioning (I did see it in the Diver's Den on LA) but the one I just mentioned would be good.