HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey everybody!

I went to a fair yesterday here in Germany and to my surprise one stand was selling C. purpureus!

As they are so rare (they only live in Japan) and hard to get I couldn't resist and bought six of them to put into my terrarium together with my six C. clypeatus.

They seem to get along quite well so far, but I am wondering whether C. purpureus needs any special conditions or special care...

I've been trying to find something on the Internet, but wasn't able to get much information, so if anyone of you has C. purpureus, too, or maybe some suggestions about how to care for them properly, please tell me!

They're just lovely (and blue! ) and I want them to live a long and happy life in my terrarium!



CU,
Dario

ah! i am so jealous! i want some! i wish america had all these other breeds of hermit crabs...

i have never even heard of that breed, but they are absolutely beautiful! good luck!

Wow! C. Purpureus is an endangered species, so you are truly lucky to get them! Here's a link to a site that has some information about this species:
http://www.tonycoenobita.com/species_eng.htm

Oh, there's no need to be jealous!

In my opinion it's much harder to find hermit crabs here in Europe than it is in America because they are just not as popular here as in the US.

Because of that almost all LHC you're going to find in pet stores around here are C. clypeatus.
Occasionally you'll find some C. compressus or rugosus, too, but all the other species including C. cavipes, brevimanus and perlatus are almost impossible to get.

I was actually looking for some C. perlatus on the fair, but had no luck and when I saw these blue guys I just couldn't leave without them...

I think it's an absolute exception to find them for sale, though, as they are so rare and I was even wondering whether it is not illegal to export them. On the other hand the seller was a Japanese guy who seemed to know quite a lot about them and I don't think it would have been possible to import them to German and sell them officially if it wasn't legal...

I just hope they're going to get along well with my C. clypeatus and that the conditions in my terrarium will be alright...!

CU,
Dario

Hey starmaiden!

Thank you so much for the link!

Hmm... okay, it's really strange they offered them despite the fact that they seem to be an endangered species...

Someone really ought to work out how to successfully breed them in captivity!

Okay, really gotta go to bed now as it's half two in the night...

CU!
Dario

Hmm... okay, it's really strange they offered them despite the fact that they seem to be an endangered species... Confused

Someone really ought to work out how to successfully breed them in captivity!

I agree! That would help a lot of other land hermit crab species out too!

WOW, I am amazed at what a find that was!! WOW! That is a beautiful creature!! Good luck with them! I hope they thrive!

Very pretty babies! Congrats! What a find!

You are indeed very lucky - the eyes on this species melts my heart!

Oh, that's so sweet of you all!

I'm so happy you like my new crabs and, as you can imagine, I'm totally amazed I got them as they're such an unusual find...!

I'll take some more and better fotos in a few days when they've had a chance to settle down a bit!

But is there really nobody else who has this species and who could give me some advice about whether they have any special needs?

CU,
Dario

I dont know of anyone that has them as I think they are impossible to get (or are supposed to be) I looked into it but was unable. If they do become available I would definately no matter what get some. You can talk to Tony Conenobita he may have some helpful suggestions

I'd recommend PMing Tony or... umm... oh who's the other member on here with all those BEATIFUL crabbie photos? Rats... Don't remember.. and I'm just whiped out right now.

Tony should have some input on these guys though.

I'd say do a research hunt on the native area of the crabbies themselves. They are so rare and protected that information is going to be hard to find for these guys unless you can go to the source of where they are from.

They are adorable though!! Such cuties...

BAB, the other member that I remember posting pictures of this species of crab has the user name "Mokulele_Hawai'i" I think he suggested the common name of "Blueberry" or something like that for them. Niku, if you PM him he might have some info on the species because I am pretty sure he owns some.

Very lucky to have those crabs, good luck with them!

[smilie=clap.gif] What beautiful blue babies you have. Good luck with them.

Dario, your new additions are so beautiful! How lucky you are to have found them! Be sure to post more pictures for us, pretty please!