Zebra Hermit Crab care guide
Zebra Hermit Crab (Calcinus laevimanus) — minimum tank 40 L, temperature 24-26 °C, pH 8.1-8.4.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Zebra Hermit Crab (Calcinus laevimanus) is a marine hermit crab of the family Diogenidae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as a beginner-level species. Hermit crab with black-and-white zebra striped legs and bright orange antennae. Sand- and rock-cleaning. Pacific origin.
Taxonomy
- Family: Diogenidae
- Genus: Calcinus
- Scientific name: Calcinus laevimanus
- Common synonyms: Hawaiian Zebra Hermit
Habitat
Hermit crabs of the family Diogenidae are anomuran crustaceans that protect their soft, asymmetric abdomen inside an empty gastropod shell, moving to larger shells as they grow. Reef species graze algae, biofilm and detritus across the rockwork and substrate. In the Aquairi knowledge base this species is recorded from Indo-Pacific, Hawaii.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L (10.6 US gal)
- Adult size: 2-4 cm
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- KH: 8-12 °dKH
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.024-1.026
- Lifespan: 2-5 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore, grazing algae, biofilm and detritus across the rockwork and substrate; in aquaria its diet is supplemented with dried algae and sinking foods when natural growth is scarce.
Compatibility
The Aquairi knowledge base lists this species as peaceful. Suitable tank mates include Reef fish, Other hermits. It should be kept away from Snails (provide spare shells).
Breeding
Breeding requires an extended planktonic larval stage in open water before the young settle, which makes captive reproduction very difficult and rarely accomplished in home aquaria. Most specimens in the hobby are wild-collected.
Breeding the Zebra Hermit Crab (Calcinus laevimanus)
Overview
Calcinus laevimanus (Randall, 1840) is a hermit crab of the tropical western Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Hawaii, living between the low intertidal and upper subtidal on rocky reefs and rubble. Total length reaches about 30 mm; the left claw is conspicuously larger than the right. It occupies globose gastropod shells, favouring Turbo and Nerita shells, and serves as a reef cleanup grazer.
Sexing
Sex is read from the gonopores on the leg bases, hard to inspect within an occupied shell; males also tend to be larger than females. Ovigerous females are visible when eggs are carried on the abdomen inside the shell, and in Hawaii roughly 80% of females carry eggs between February and October.
Spawning & Larvae
Females carry eggs year-round in this species, brooding the clutch on the abdomen until hatching. The larvae are planktonic and progress through six zoeal stages followed by a single glaucothoe (post-larval) stage in the water column before settling and adopting a first shell as a juvenile crab.
Common Challenges
- Six zoeal stages plus a glaucothoe make a long planktonic cycle that closed tanks cannot sustain.
- Tiny zoeae are removed by skimmers, filters and pumps and require live plankton food.
- Settled juveniles need a steady supply of small empty shells to occupy.
- Maintaining stable temperature and salinity through the whole larval period is impractical at home.