Neon Blue Stripe Hermit Crab

Colorful and peaceful, Neon Blue Stripe Hermit Crab, Calcinus elegans, is a great reef aquarium cleaner. This crab is also known as the Blue Knuckle, Left-Handed, or Elegant Hermit Crab. This is the reef-safe Blue Knuckle Crab and not the predator Dardanus guttatus. The diet of the Neon Blue Stripe Hermit Crab is limited to uneaten foods and algae, including some cyanobacteria. This preference makes it an ideal candidate for the reef aquarium. Hermit crabs will spend their time climbing across Live Rock and the substrate in search of their next meal.

Notes: This species must molt in order to grow. Generally at night, it will leave its shell home, lay on its back, and exit its exoskeleton. A new exoskeleton is excreted and will harden over a period of several hours. The animal is vulnerable at this time and should not be disturbed. Proper iodine levels assist with successful molting.

Detailed Information about this animal.