Pom Pom Boxing Crab-Lybia tessellata

Does anyone have any info in this creature? Besides that they held 2 small anemones. What are their feeding habit, what do they eat? Are they noctural?

I happened to find these guys in my LFS and wanted to get them but wanna do a bit research before taking them hom ;D

 

Hi Alanova!

That looks like an interesting little critter! (ps, for personal info, since you live near me....where did you see it? I don't want one, but would like to lay my eyes on one if nearby)

I don't know anything about them but questions I might ask as well would be, what does the crab eat? Do the anemones need to be cared for and how?(lighting...target feeding?)
What kind of anemones are they?

and, what happens if the anemones get too big for the crab? Can it live without them and vice versa?

 

rare find. i had three in one of my old tanks. were hardy very interesting to watch and care for.

 

sorry clicked to fast. they came out in the day so i would assume they were not nocturnal. they scavenged lr and sb for food with the anemones. they ate mysis and brine when thay could get it.

 

Hey Birdlady, they were selling it in the Hidden Reef in NE Philly? There were only 2 left and they're only selling it for $9 bucks!!! So I bought both of them.

Anyway, from what I read, these crabs use their anemone to sweep up things and also to distract potential predators. They will drop their anemone when they molt. That's about as much as I know, and I'm thinking they should be more of a filter feeder..

Well I watched them dug their own caves under my LR after I put them in the tank and hide in there until my lights were out, they were running around in the crevice of my LR and on substrate this morning. Cool little creatures! And they only grow up to an inch so its perfect for my 30 gallons.