HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Most of the zebra sunset subspecies of Coenobita violascens will loose their "zebra" pattern when they grow up - since the white/yellow "rings" on the leg segments fade out.




Perhaps these rare specimes are what should be called "C.pseudorugosus".

Very pretty!

Young viola's have a yellow color at the joints but the antennae are red, are Sunset Zebra's found in the same area as viola's? If they are found in a different area perhaps it is their diet that gives them the brown coloring vs. the red/orange of the juvenile viola? The 1st pic of pseudorugosus does have the red antennae, the coloring seems the same as the Sunset Zebra but the eyes are more elongated, are they found in the same area as viola's & sunset's? Very confusing, could they be a completely separate species? As there are quite a few differences. What would make it a sub-species vs. species? Sorry for so many questions, they are beautiful crabs nonetheless! 

CrabbyIrene wrote:Young viola's have a yellow color at the joints but the antennae are red, are Sunset Zebra's found in the same area as viola's? If they are found in a different area perhaps it is their diet that gives them the brown coloring vs. the red/orange of the juvenile viola?

I think so... the red / orange juvenile sunsets/violas mainly come from Sumatra, Java, and Bali islands -> and most of them turn into dark blue or brownish purple when they reach the medium size ( just like the Japanese/Ryukyuan C.violascens ). The zebra sunset variant inhabits the central & eastern part of Indonesia.

The 1st pic of pseudorugosus does have the red antennae, the coloring seems the same as the Sunset Zebra but the eyes are more elongated, are they found in the same area as viola's & sunset's?

They are always found together with C.violascens. I haven't got any record yet that such different species inhabit a specific area in large number. This new species looks more similar to C.compressus, but most of them do not have any stitches on the BP.

the red / orange juvenile sunsets/violas mainly come from Sumatra, Java, and Bali islands -> and most of them turn into dark blue or brownish purple when they reach the medium size ( just like the Japanese/Ryukyuan C.violascens ). The zebra sunset variant inhabits the central & eastern part of Indonesia.

Is there any noticeable difference between c. violascens from Sumatra, Java, Bali and the c. violascens from Japan?
Sorry for so many questions, I'm just fascinated by these little guys and am loving learning all about them

It is difficult to say if Zebra Sunset land hermit crab are subspecies of Coenobita violascens. It is because as we know, different location, food, wheather may affect the colourway of land hermit crab even they are same species.

I think may be Zebra Sunset land hermit crab is a kind of Coenobita violascens, but just their colour is quite different with normal violascens.

Nevi told me my little guy is a zebra sunset viola, does this mean he'll lose his striping? Also, he doesn't look like any of the sunset violas you've posted... hes bright orange and brownish greyish



Hes really skinny and his legs are very sharp, I'm geussing thats because he molted at the pet store (They isolated an area for him and let him molt ) and because hes so small he doesn't yet have the big beefy legs like the larger ones in your pictures. His legs are so sharp, when he pinched me his legs stabbing me did more damage then the pinch, I bled alot from about 12 various little cuts and a pinch >_<