The cute hermit crab Clibanarius africanus has become a popular invertebrate. It is a euryhaline animal, which means that it can live in both pure freshwater and pure seawater. However, the life expectancy in pure freshwater seems to be limited to a few months, which is why it is better to keep the animal in brackish water. We keep our animals in weak brackish water with good results. We add 150 g of sea salt (for reef aquariums) to 100 liters of aquarium water. The animals thrive very well in this low salt density. Incidentally, the animals on which the first description is based were collected in the period 1890-1892 in the river near Bibundi in Cameroon, i.e. near the coast in fresh or brackish water. A typical characteristic of the species is the very long last leg limb, the tarsus, which is rare in this form within the species-rich genus Clibanarius.
Clibanarius are pure detritus eaters, i.e. they consume dead plant and animal matter, and in the aquarium also any common fish food. Normally we receive the animals with brown snail shells, which come from the species Tympanotonus fuscatus, but sometimes they also carry white shells of the snail species Pachymelania aurita.
The distribution of C. africanus extends along the Atlantic coast of Africa, the specimens we imported come from Nigeria where, according to the exporter, they are collected in the Majidun River near Ikorodu. These crabs are normally brown in color. However, we currently have a few specimens in stock that are a beautiful blue color.
For our customers: the animals have code 483123 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Clibanarius: Latin name for a heavily armored cavalry warrior. africanus: means “originating from Africa”.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
