Porcelain/anemone Crabs

[Donya]

I'm having some crustacean confusion...I've been trying to look on the net but havn't found an answer. I have seen porcelain crabs sold as "porcelain crabs" and "anemone crabs". Is the anemone variety dependant on anemones? They look identical to ones I've seen sold with no mention of anemones, so I'm wondering if my eye just isn't trained well enough to see a difference, or if it really is the same animal and it doesn't require a nem...I'm confused

 

[richard t]

Anemone crabs/ Porcelain crabs are the same crab.
They are planktonic feeders and usually starve unless zooplankton is provided.
The crab needs a anemone for protection. Growing to no more than 2inchs across the leg span, it would just become a exspensive snack in most tanks.

 

[Donya]

So, in a tank where there is nothing that would eat the crab, then the crab doesn't loose anything from not being in a nem?

 

[petey Z]

i have a porcelain crab, it doesnt have a nem, i never add zooplankton and its been alive for 4 months. also, when u say expensive snack, it wasnt that expensive, only 4 bucks.

and im positive its a porcelain. http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...cfm?pCatId=1963

that bad boy right there

 

[Mr Miagi]

I have never seen these crabs elsewhere but in a Carpet anemone. I thought what Donya was talking about were these crabs peteyz: Neopetrolisthes

If so, they are filter feeders (planktavores) who also eat mucus from their hosts. (Also mentioned on liveaquaria). Even with no crab eaters (IE fish) they face the posibility of Fire worms, other crabs, and other predators without protection from a host. I wouldnt add a pair without a proper host carpet.

 

[Donya]

Yeah the 2nd link were the oens I was seeing sold both as nem-needing and nem-independant. My tanks have to be safe for Strombidae conches, which pretty much eliminates anything that will attack, pick at, or otherwise harm inverts...so, invert-eating/injuring isn't a problem. My beautiful little slimers that can't fend off regular crabs and other common cleanup crew species since they can't close up the normal way:

I didn't realize there were 2 such different types of porcelains out there; I've never seen a Petrolisthes like Petey Z listed in the local stores. Nems are a no for me, so I wouldn't want to have a species that, even if it wouldn't get eaten, could suffer from not having the right diet if nem-less. Those Petrolisthes look interesting though. Thanks for clearing up my crab confusion!

I thought fireworms were actually harmless except for the bristles though? Or do you mean things like clam worms (Nereis species)?

 

[Mr Miagi]

Fireworms are nasty critters. They will scavange alot, but I have seen one pull off a crabs leg lol.

 

[Aquascaper]

My porcelain crab lived in my hairy mushroom so, like clowns, they will adapt to anything anenome shaped. They require the shelter of the tentacles as they spend a lot of time filter feeding and therefore are exposed with hands aloft in the current.