Lined Hermit Crab

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed in the tropical Indo-Pacific, from East African coasts to Australia and Indonesia. Inhabits sandy tide pools, shallow rocky reefs, and intertidal flats.

Taxonomy: Member of the family Diogenidae. Small body with a soft abdomen protected by empty small gastropod shells that it exchanges as it grows. Grows to about 3-4 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and industrious. Constantly explores sandy substrate and rockwork for algae biofilm and organic detritus. Gregario, does well in groups.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Base body color is light brown, greenish, or greyish. Distinguished by well-defined longitudinal dark brown or black stripes running down its walking legs. No visible sexual dimorphism.

Tank Setup: Suitable for tanks of 10 gallons or larger. Provide live rock for climbing and forage. Empty gastropod shells of various sizes must be added to allow growth.

Diet and Feeding: Herbivore and detritivore. Highly efficient at eating green hair algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria, and leftover fish food. Accepts spirulina wafers and sinking pellets.

Water Quality: Stable marine parameters: SG 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, temperature 22-28°C. Highly sensitive to copper treatments and elevated nitrates.

Compatibility and Tankmates: 100% reef-safe. Perfect Clean-Up Crew (CUC) member. Compatible with peaceful fish and corals. May occasionally target small live snails if empty shells are lacking.

Aquarium Breeding: Spawns microscopic planktonic zoeal larvae that require specialized feeding and are usually removed by standard filtration.

Risks and Diseases: High stress and mortality if suitable replacement shells are unavailable. Highly sensitive to rapid salinity shifts and copper treatments.