Hermit crab ID

[SpiffWilkie]

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]

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

 

[SpiffWilkie]

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

 

[SpiffWilkie]

Here's a clearer picture:

 

[LeslieH]

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]

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]

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]

Thanks for the help.

 

[spoon671]

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.