Our Cavipes are actually Violascens

[JediMasterThrash]

I started this topic in the Wholesale Straberries thread, but it probably was lost to most people. I made a post on HCA, and so here I'm posting back as it's own discussion on LHC.Basically, I think that all this time, we've been misidentifying C. violascens as C. cavipes. Gorthaur on HCA even has pictures of a "true" cavipe they found at petco.

[JediMasterThrash]

Here's a text copy for those that aren't HCA members:Here's a copy of my post on LHC. Basically, I think that all this time, we've been misidentifying C. violascens as C. cavipes. From studying Tony's Coenobita website, I've been questioning cav IDs. Here's his page on violascens: http://www.tonycoenobita.com/s...s_violascens_ch2.htm Note that these are all large crabs, so their structure and colors are more mature than smaller ones. The red antennae are very apparent, and the back left leg has the "cav"/indo structure. The eyes are dark and mysterious. While the main body is deep purple/blue in color, the lower extremities still show orange gradient, and the claw shows the same stripe. In fact, running the site through babelfish translate shows the following text: "The deep purple land hermit crabyoung bodybody color mostly will be an orange yellow,but along with the growth,on the body the color then can gradually substitute by the dark blue,only remains in the chestfoot or the chelafoot terminal as soon as wipes orange yellow, but the adult body color end will transfer dark blue orthe purpleblack" And there's pictures at the bottom showing our traditional orange/yellow "cavs". Now, the cavipes page shows quite a different picture: http://www.tonycoenobita.com/species_cavipes_ch2.htm These still have the bp stripe, and the leg has the twist, but with a more exaggerated feature. However, the antennae are clearly more like Indo antennae, with large orange bases, but the feelers are not red. I've seen pictures of some people having these more dark-brown tinted Indos (rather than the more traditional purple), and it seems that those indos might actually be real cavipes. Though the eyes are definitely dark and square like the caves we know. In fact, the babelfish translate shows this sentence: "Can mistake in foreign very many peoplethe deep purple landhermit crab for the concave full land hermit crab,but actually so long as has a look its first antenna whether assumes red then may know,the concave full land hermit crab first antenna is not assumes red" He is clearly addressing here the fact that foreign people (namely us) have been mistaking the violascens for the cavipes, and reiterates that if the antenna is red, then it's a violascens, not a cavipes. And here's a picture of the true cavipe:http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5971/briam1sn3.jpg Assuming we consensus that this new identification is correct, we'd need to have the ID documents updated. And also, anyone who has websites that people might use for IDing would need to update as well. We don't want to confuse people even more by having too much conflicting info on the web.

[Nicole]

I feel very confused. LOLDo the Viols have the BP stripe or just the Cavs? I get the part about the bright red antennae belonging to the Viols but wasn't sure about them both having the BP stripe (or not).

[NewCrabber]

I think both species can have it.Edit: Yea, I was just looking at Tony's page, there are two pix of BPs on the cavipe page that look like those of the species we've thought of as cavipes.

[NewCrabber]

For me that is the most obvious difference. I think though, I'd have to try to read the translation again to see if that's where I recall it from, there is something about a back leg.It's only one picture (in JMT's post) and I'd like to see many more as close up and clear as that one is, but the eyes are different, too, it seems. The eyes on the hermie in that picture almost look like elongated PP eyes, that tear drop shape. And check out those stalks, how they v way out and the color. The hump on it, too. Don't know if it's typical of the species, but the hump looks like it begins in the middle of the stalk and continues to the eye. On my guy (second pic) you can see a little hump, more like a bump in the middle of the eye, but doesn't extend forward to the eye. That has me wondering now though, I never noticed it looking at him, but I wasn't looking for it. LOL Have to check him out again next time his out and about. He's gonna hate me!

[NewCrabber]

I'm not real confident about any of this yet, but my guess would be, if the middle set of antennae are red and from what I can see of the shape of the eyes and stalks, I'd say he's what we've been identifying all along as cavipe. Which would make him what some are saying are in fact viola. But I could be wrong.

[NewCrabber]

From Tony's site, the viola page..."In Japan, they belong to a species which is "although now they are not in danger, hey will become extinct if the environment is polluted continually " and belong to a natural monument. Many people misunderstand C. cavipes as C. violascens. If we look at their 1st pair of antenna, we can easily identify both of them. 1st pair of antenna of C. cavipes are not red, but C. violascens are red." 　

[JediMasterThrash]

The pictures posted by New Crabber would be violascens. The feelers are red, and the legs orange-ish, indicating a younger one.The links by CrabbyMon are also violascens, with the red feelers, and purplish color, indicating an older one.As they grow, their body changes from the orange to purple.Both cavipes and violascens have the BP stripe. You can see the comparison in the two pics from Tony's site posted by Nicole.The violascens stripe is straight down the middle of the BP. I have a hand-drawn exaggeration of it in the bottom-right of this picture (but note that this is now a red ruggie Vs. a Viola image!)http://home.comcast.net/~JediM...cies/redrugvscav.jpgIn the cavipe, the stripe runs more diagonal, rather than horizontal.Neither the viola nor the cav have any stitches on their BP.

[Froggz37]

[Guest]

Here is one of mine Little Gangsta or Little G. for short.http://community.webshots.com/myphotos? ... mdONAwHere is Red's eye's http://community.webshots.com/myphotos? ... fEswwMHere is Thing 2 eating steamed shrimp, mmmmmmhttp://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=showPhoto...3794&security=tvfkldThey are all so cute I had to share all 3 Sandra