What Are The Main Species Of Hermit Crab?
Author: Tod Schaffer
Are you lost on the subject of what your little pet crustacean actually is? There are so many types and version of the animal out there that it can get a bit daunting trying to find your particular pet's identity. But never fear! With this article, you will soon be naming what your little friend is without any problems.
There are two main species of hermit crab that are widely available in the USA and these are Coenobita Clypeatus which is native to the Caribbean and Coenobita Compressus who hails from Ecuador. They are more commonly referred
to as the purple pincher (PP for short) and the E-crab who is more affectionately referred to amongst crabbers as "Eccie". If you own one of these adorable little critters, chances are that he is one of the above species although some pet stores import more exotic breeds from the Pacific Rim.
Okay, so how can you determine which type of the little critter is sitting in your tank? Well, there are several key differences but one of the most obvious is that PP has a large purple claw. This claw, incidentally, is used by him to block the entrance to his shell. He also has many small markings on his legs and claws which are the equivalent of hair follicles and are called setae. These tiny filaments are made of chitin, which also constitute the makeup of the crabby critter's exoskeleton. However, these filaments do not continue to grow, like human hair follicles, but are shed whenever the crabby critter molts. PP has far more setae on his body than does Eccie who just has a bit of "bum fluff" on his claws!
Now, take another close look at your crabby companion. If your crabby companion has quite prominent round eyes then you have the species of the little critters known as PP, whereas if his eyes are elongated and he has stripes running to the side of his head, then you are the proud owner of an Eccie. Another big difference in their appearance is that Eccie has a wider, flatter thorax and his legs tend to be the same color as his body.
As mentioned earlier, Eccie does not have a special claw with which to guard her home like PP, instead she crosses her two left sided walking legs over her large claw. Eccie is a very colorful species of the little guys and can be found in a variety of colors ranging from bright yellow, dark grey to orange and tan. It is quite frequently found as a dark tan color with bluish overtones to its body and inside of its legs. Quite often the tips of the legs are a darker color. Eccie is, however, a master of disguise, and can start off life as a tan color, only to emerge a couple of months later as a light lavender color. This is commonly a direct result of diet and is a result of a carotene deficit which can occur after molting. You can take steps to ensure this doesn't happen to your crab by feeding him plenty of carrot and corn which are great sources of the organic compound which is carotene.
Well, I guess you now know which species of hermit crab is sitting in your tank, so go ahead and make his acquaintance and have some fun!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/what-are-the-main-species-of-hermit-crab-3296383.html
About the Author
Tod Schaffer is a Hermit Crab enthusiast who has vast experience of raising Hermit Crabs. For more information about Species Of Hermit Crab, Visit Hermit Crabs
.