Fun Halloween Hermit Crab Facts For Kids

We've all most likely seen a fair amount of crabs (quite often the dungeness crab) scuttling around sideways in the sand when we visit the beach, and a lot of tank and aquarium enthusiasts keep them alongside their fish for a variety of reasons, the most common one is that hermit crabs are an excellent clean up crew for an aquarium, since they eat any algae growth and keep the tank aerated by continuously sifting through the sand at the bottom of the aquarium.

The species of hermit crab that is often considered the most brightly colored is called the halloween hermit crab, also commonly referred to as the striped hermit crab or even the orange-legged hermit crab.

Scientifically, it is called Ciliopagurus strigatus. Like most other hermit crabs, this festively dressed species likes to live in empty shells of other animals to protect its fragile exterior.

Their diet does not just consist of algae: they also eat some good meaty food like Mysis shrimp, snails, and sponges.

They not only eat snails but also attack them for the real estate: the cone shells that the snails possess.

The halloween hermit crab is nocturnal by nature, resting all day and usually only venturing out of its shell at night.

If you liked reading these halloween hermit crab facts, you must also read our fact files on the ambush bug and green stink bug.

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Halloween Hermit Crab Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a halloween hermit crab?

The halloween hermit crab (Ciliopagurus strigatus) is a crab and a very good-looking one at that.

What class of animal does a halloween hermit crab belong to?

The halloween hermit crab is an arthropod, like the blue land crab and the sally lightfoot crab; they are invertebrates and have an exoskeleton. Crabs are not the only arthropods; mind you, butterflies, cockroaches, scorpions, and even spiders are all arthropods!

How many halloween hermit crabs are there in the world?

The exact population of the halloween hermit crab in the world is not known, but seeing as they are easily found in the wild and used commonly in the aquarium trade, they must be quite abundant in the wild.

Where does a halloween hermit crab live?

Inside empty shells in shallow, tropical water that has reef and corals nearby. When kept in captivity, they live inside artificial cone shells provided to them in aquariums.

What is a halloween hermit crab's habitat?

The halloween hermit crab (Ciliopagurus strigatus) calls cone shells home and goes on days out to sandy beaches near a reef since a major part of their diet is corals, apart from hair algae and cyanobacteria.

Who do halloween hermit crabs live with?

Unlike hermits in real life, the halloween hermit crab can be found in groups of 100 in the wilds of the Indo-Pacific. However, they have no problem living a solitary life when kept in a fish tank or marine aquarium for cleanup work.

How long does a halloween hermit crab live?

In the wild, the halloween hermit crab can live for 10 - 30 years, but when kept in captivity in aquariums on in a fish tank, their lifespan is greatly reduced, and they only live for another eight years or so.

How do they reproduce?

Male halloween hermit crabs have the ability to sense when a female is fertile through chemicals they release in the water and attach themselves to the female's body until the eggs have been fertilized. The eggs then remain on the undersurface of their mother's body until they hatch.

A female can lay up to 50,000 eggs, but the average litter size of the halloween hermit crab is only around 200. A lot of the baby crabs can fall prey to seagulls.

What is their conservation status?

The halloween hermit crab is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as a species that is Not Evaluated as yet.

Halloween Hermit Crab Fun Facts

What do halloween hermit crabs look like?

This brightly colored species of the hermit crab features orange and red legs, as well as a body that has alternating orange and white bands reminiscent of the colors of Halloween, thus leading to its festive name. Some individuals may also possess a bright red banding on their legs.

Due to its exotic coloring and ability to keep an aquarium free of algae, the halloween hermit crab species is a really popular aquarium and fish tank dweller.

How cute are they?

When they do decide to get out of their shells and come talk to you (usually to talk about food), they can be extremely cute, with their large eyes and dazzling coloration, with its beautiful orange and red banding with white accents.

How do they communicate?

These orange and red-colored hermit crabs can make chirping sounds with different parts of their body and also interact with their peers, environment, or perhaps a fish its friends with using their antennae. In this regard, they are quite similar to ants, who also twiddle their antennae with one another to communicate information.

How big is a halloween hermit crab?

This shell dweller can grow to around 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long, making them almost seven times smaller in length than their marine friend, the purple spaghetti eel, but a whopping 36 times larger than the tucanoichthys tucano.

How fast can halloween hermit crabs move?

Hermit crabs are not the fastest sprinting crustaceans, seeing as they could simply retreat into their shell. They have been recorded scuttling at around 4 in (10.2 cm). The fastest sprinting crab is the Ghost Crab, which can hit speeds of almost 9 mph (14.5 kph)!

How much does a halloween hermit crab weigh?

Since they do not have a hard and heavy exterior, they only weigh around 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) on average. This is far less than land crabs since they cannot take shelter in shells and must protect themselves from predators using their own exoskeleton.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both the male and the female of this species go by the same name, the halloween hermit crab. In general, there are an informal set of terms for male and female crabs: the Buck and the Jenny. So technically, you could call the male halloween hermit crab a halloween hermit buck and the female a halloween hermit jenny.

What would you call a halloween hermit crab?

They are also called the Orange legged hermit crab and the Striped hermit crab. A baby crab is called a zoea larva, so perhaps the babies of this species can be referred to as Halloween Hermit Zoea Larvae. Now that's a mouthful, isn't it?

What do they eat?

Their diet consists of small fish and snails, as well as detritus, green hair algae, and cyanobacteria. Their tank mates should be chosen with care, as they could see smaller fish as food or attack a decorative snail for its shell.

Are they harmful?

If kept well-fed in a tank, they are usually peaceful. However, you always run the risk of a shell-related attack if it lives alongside a snail.

They may also use their pincers to pinch you if you agitate them, so make sure not to put your fingers close to it too often. A pinch from a crab that barely weighs a pound may not sound like much, but make no mistake, they can possess a surprising amount of strength!

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, provided they are supplied with enough food and allowed to move around freely in the aquarium. They can be peaceful with their tank mates and are not shy to boast their vibrant colors to others.

Did you know...

In order to grow bigger, the halloween hermit crab goes through a process known as molting, where it sheds its old exoskeleton and begins to grow a new one. Finding their old skins near a reef is a common sight!

Are halloween hermit crabs reef safe?

Care must be taken before deeming the halloween hermit crab reef safe! Yes, they can be reef-safe if they are kept well fed with a meaty fare.

In case the halloween hermit crab is feeling hungry, it will not hesitate to consume corals. It is thus recommended to feed it dried corals and Mysis shrimp so as to ensure it does not interfere with the reef.

What is unusual about halloween hermit crabs?

They often move around while inside the shell that they live in, and this leads to many people mistaking the shell for being part of its body. This is actually not the case; the orange-legged hermit crab keeps finding new shells to live in as it grows larger and stronger.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Maryland blue crab facts and king crab facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our free printable Halloween hermit crab coloring pages.