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My LFS has recently acquired something called 'Red Crabs'. They are, reputedly, freshwater crabs. At the moment the carapace of these critters is approximately 15 mm across.

Does anyone know what on earth these creatures are? A taxonomic name would be useful if at all possible!

Does anyone also know the following:

[1] Original native waters of these crabs;
[2] Maintenance conditions (pH, hardness etc);
[3] Food requirements for these crabs;
[4] Maximum size that the crabs will reach.

They resemble the 'typical' marine crabs that are seen in fish markets for human consumption in appearance, execpt that they are somewhat flatter when seen from the side, and their legs appear to be slightly more flattened too.

This pic]http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk/Photos/SriLankaSesarma.jpg[/link] is the closest I can find to their appearance, but I'm not absolutely certain that these are the critters in question. The page from which the illustration was obtained was [link=this one.

I'll see if I can't get a photo of one, which may help.



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

These are probably either red-clawed crabs or dwarf fidler crabs. They are reasonably easy to care for as long as you realize that they require specialized care. A pair of them can live in a 10 gallon tank by themselves. A sand substrate piled to one side of the tank and filled halfway with brackish (part-salt) water will give them an area for swimming and a shelf of land, since these crabs cannot live under water all the time, and they will not live long in pure freshwater. However, a small bowl should be placed in the land side with fresh water, because they will need it to drink. They will soil the bowl, so it will need to be cleaned and re-filled at least once a day.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

So, not something for the conventional aquarium then?

Hmm, I thought not somehow ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Nope, 'fraid not. They'll eat any fish they can get their claws on, and the brackish water and air-breathing requirements make them a pretty specialized pet.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...