Helmut Krab ID

[KhawMengLee]

Hi all,

I just picked up this crab at my Lfs and was wondering what it was and more importantly, what it eats.

There were two others which were larger, pinkish and more smoothed shelled. Those really looked like a helmet.

cheers
Meng

 

[charlesr1958]

Its a Calappa species, commonly called the box crabs. I see them quite frequently out on the grassbeds burrowed or buried down in the sand during the day. At night, they wander about doing what crabs do best, scavenge or kill and eat what ever they can get a hold of, dead or alive. Not something I would put into a reef aquarium holding sessile inverts or fish that sleep soundly....lol

I have a photo example (with larvae) as well as a good link to ID members of this family within my hitch hiker pages.

Chuck's Hitch Hikers

 

[KhawMengLee]

Cheers for the info mate!

its in a tank with my mantis shrimp(spearer) seems to be doing fine.