Halloween Hermit Crab

With orange-yellow rings around its red legs, the Halloween hermit crab is one of the most colorful hermit crabs in marine aquariums; it gets its English name from its orange-red colors, which are reminiscent of Halloween. It grows to about 5 cm. Because its body is flat, it mostly uses narrow-mouthed cone snail shells. It joins the cleanup crew by clearing algae, cyanobacteria and leftover food, but because of its medium to large size it is more active and rougher than small hermit crabs. Specimens in the trade are wild-collected.

• At least 60 liters, with a live rock layout full of caves.
• Salinity 1.023–1.026 specific gravity, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Reef-safe with caution: it does not eat corals, but it can knock over unsecured coral frags as it roams.
• It changes shells as it grows; there should always be a few empty cone and narrow-mouthed shells in the aquarium.
• It should be acclimated by the drip method for at least 1 hour; copper-based medications are lethal.

An omnivorous scavenger. Besides algae and leftover food, sinking granules, algae wafers and small pieces of mysis should be given a few times a week. A hungry individual tends to turn to snails.

Active day and night. When it cannot find a suitable empty shell it may kill snails and take their shells; it also fights other hermit crabs over shells.

Good companions: clownfish, tangs, damselfish, gobies; cleaner shrimp, sea urchins.

Avoid: valuable snails (Turbo, Trochus, Stomatella), small hermit crabs; triggerfish and pufferfish, large wrasses.