Scarlet Hermit Crab

Scarlet Hermit Crabs, Paguristes cadenati, is a scavenging invertebrate. A common CUC member, the scarlet hermit voraciously consumes excess food, detritus and algaes. This hermit is considered to be a less aggressive species of hermit thus making it a better reef inhabitant. As with all hermits, it is best to have extra shells hidden in the tank so they do not compete with other hermits and snails for a new shell after they molt.

Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab, gets its name from its bright red legs. These legs are in contrast to its yellow face. It remains relatively small and is suitable for tanks of any size. Like all hermit crabs, they are unable to grow their own shells so it is important to have a ready supply of shells available in various sizes. This particular hermit crab is found in the Caribbean. Its relatively high price (for a hermit crab) comes from the fact that they are collected at deeper depths than most hermit crabs and captive breeding is almost impossible. It makes its home in the reef faces or coral rubble of reefs.

They are best housed in an established home aquarium with ample live rock for grazing. In the wild, they are nocturnal and will generally be more active at night in a home aquarium but they can also be seen
scavenging during the day. Like all hermit crabs, the Scarlet Hermit Crab is a voracious consumer of all manner of detritus. They will consume many types of nuisance algae including hair and film algae but also cyanobacteria. They will also scour the rockwork and substrate for meaty foods and left over fish food. In a mature tank they generally do not require supplemental feeding.

What sets the Scarlet Hermit Crab apart from many other species of hermit crab is its relatively peaceful nature. While it is still advisable to provide a variety of empty shells, they are far less likely to attack snails or other crabs than other hermit crab species. In the eyes of many hobbyists this more than makes up for their comparatively high price. Like most invertebrates they are not tolerant of copper based medications but are otherwise considered to be quite hardy.