Mexican red-leg hermit crab
Clibanarius digueti
Also known as Cortez Red Leg Hermit, Red Tip Hermit Crab, Dwarf Red Tip Hermit, Bluespotted Hermit
SaltwaterCrab
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F
- 22–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 1 in
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 11 gal
- 40 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Very common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Diogenidae
- Origin
- Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of Mexico, on shallow rocky and sandy shores.
Overview
Keep them in tanks of 40 litres or more at 22 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4, adding a few per aquarium as part of a cleanup crew. They graze hair algae and cyanobacteria and scavenge leftover food and detritus in tight spots. Provide a range of empty shells or they may kill snails to steal a better one, and they will occasionally knock over loose coral frags.
In the wild
This is a small dwarf hermit with bright red legs tipped in white and a body tucked into a borrowed snail shell. It is one of the cheapest and most common cleanup crew hermits in the hobby. Because it stays under about 2.5 cm it fits nano tanks as well as large reefs.
Good to know
Clibanarius digueti comes from the Gulf of California, a cooler and more seasonal sea than the tropical Indo-Pacific, so it tolerates a wide temperature range. Like all hermits it has a soft twisted abdomen and must swap into larger empty shells as it grows.
Did you know
A group works its way across the rock and sand all day, turning over the top layer of substrate as they scavenge for scraps.
Common questions
What size tank does a Mexican red-leg hermit crab need?
A Mexican red-leg hermit crab needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Mexican red-leg hermit crab need?
A Mexican red-leg hermit crab is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
How big does a Mexican red-leg hermit crab get?
An adult Mexican red-leg hermit crab reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).
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