Species of Hermit Crabs

Purple Pincher - C. clypeatus





Purple Pincher or Carribean crabs are usually colored from a light tan to a dark red or purple. Their big pincher is almost always a purple color, hence the name but can be other colors also. They are found in the Florida Keys, Jamaica, and the Carribbean. Their distinguishing marks are as follows.

• Eyes are a comma shape.
• Eyestalks are slender and narrow.
• Antennae are usually dark in color.
• Not as active as some other crabbies and do most of their playing at night.
• PPs get larger than most other species.

Ruggie - C. rugosus





Ruggies are a crabbie found on the East coast of Africa through the Indo Pacific. Ruggies can come in many different colors such as pink, black, white, blue, and green. The distinguishing marks on a ruggie are as follows.

• Stitch marks found on the big pincher.
• Their left back walking leg is usually flatter than the rest.
• Their eyes are elongated, but they differentiate from Es in that the eye stalk is more uniform from the base to the eye.
• They have a black mark at the bottom of each eyestalk not found on other species.
• They usually have a stripe on the big pincher in a darker color than the BP itself.
• Their Antennae are usually orange.

Equadorian - C. compressus





Equadorian hermit crabs are found in Equador and surrounding areas. The can also come in many different colors, although the most common are a gray, light brown, tan, green and blue. Their distinguishing marks are as follows.

• Eyes are elongated and the base starts out small at the base of the head and flares out to the eye, similar to a candy corn shape.
• Has very small stitch marks on their BP, more dot like, and not noticable.
• Tips of the legs are usually brown, orange, or red.
• Prefers shells with D shaped openings, whereas most other species prefer round openings.
• Es are a very active crabbie!!

Strawberry - C. perlatus





Strawberry hermit crabs have a look all their own. They are usually a bright red or orange color with small white dots all over their legs and pinchers, just like the strawberry fruit. They can be found from the east coast of Africa, through Indonesia and into Northern Australia. Their distinguishing marks are as follows.

• Eyes are elongated, seems to be moreso than other species.
• Has very small stitch marks on their BP, and not very noticable.
• Antennae are bright orange.
• Big claw is usually smaller and flatter than other species.
• Straws are very delicate and need exacting conditions to live. Please see my Strawberry care guide for more information.
• In my experience the Straws are the most laid back and lovable crabbies.

Indos - C.brevimanus





Indos look very similar to PPs but are not. They almost always come in shades of purple or violet. They are found in Indonesia. Their distinguishing marks are as follows. Thanks to Marie aka Ladybug15057 from CSJ for the use of her pictures!!!

• Eyes and eyestalks are perfectly rounded.
• Has very small stitch marks on their BP, and not very noticable.
• The base of the outer antennae unusually thick and tan, yellow or orange, and the inner antennae are unusually long.
• Big claw is very large, gigantic in proportion to the crabbie.

Cavs - C.cavipes


Cavs are only found in Red, blue, brown or black. I believe they are found in Africa. Their distinguishing marks are as follows.

• Eyestalks are almost perfectly parallel and dark.
• Eyes are elongated.
• The two middle antennae are usually red.
• Are very hairy compared to other crabbies.
• Has a light colored stripe going through the BP with a smooth dark colored circle underneath it.
• I have not had any cavs yet, so I have no pictures until I can get permission to use someone elses.

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