Barock in January 2010

Scarlet red legged hermit crab

Kaizen Reef name: Barock
Common name: Scarlet red legged hermit crab
Scientific name: Paguristes Cadenati

Physical description: Hermit crab in adopted shell with red claws and legs.

Diet: Eats detritus off substrate and rocks, meaty frozen foods like mysis and tiger shrimp as well as Spirulina flake.

Important dates:
7/17/09: Added to the tank

Update: Barock is a female specimen. On several occasions when turned over and pulling himself back upright we saw his egg sack. The other hermit crab (Meshell) is actually male and they have a mating cycle. Meshell will mount Barock and they will be in that position for hours or sometimes a day or so. Due to our filtration system no hatchings are possible.

Personal notes: Not to be confused with President Barack Obama, we refer to Barock as male even though we have not sexed him. He is the runt of the tank and gets picked on the most. He has some intimate moments with the other hermit crab. The starfish will push him away if he gets too close and the wrasse will steal his food if he is lucky enough to find something special to eat (like a piece of shrimp or flake food). He works diligently cleaning the tank and has molted once so far since we got him.