
Panther Crab (Parathelphusa pantherina)
$ 24.99
Details
Like all predatory crabs and crayfish, they can try to eat fish and other inverts like snails and shrimp. Like all Sulawesi animals, it requires water with a much higher pH and temperature than many other freshwater animals. It is fairly hardy and undemanding as long as these conditions are met. Like nearly all crabs, it is an opportunistic, omnivorous scavenger that requires a varied diet of mostly meaty foods such as sinking pellets and frozen foods such as bloodworms. The Panther Crab is a bit territorial and must be provided with multiple hiding places, especially when kept with others of its kind. It can be safely kept with some active fast moving fish species, but there is no guarantee that it will not attempt to prey on sluggish or sleeping fish. As far as we know, it has not yet been bred in captivity on a widespread basis.
Though it is considered fully aquatic, the Panther Crab is not afraid to leave the water. It is quite an escape artist and it must be kept in an aquarium with a fail-safe cover. While it does not require a land portion in its habitat, it will certainly use such a feature.
- Beautiful spotted pattern
- More peaceful alternative to crayfish
- Lively personality
- One of the few fully aquatic crabs available
- Temperature: 76° - 82° F (24° - 28° C)
- pH: 7.5 - 8.5
- KH: 5 - 8 dKH
- Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
- Diet: Omnivorous. These crabs are not picky and will eat all sorts of food, including invertebrate pellets and algae wafers. They also like bloodworms and will munch on dead plant material. Calcium supplements (such as cuttlebone) are a good idea too, as the will help maintain the health of their shells
- Social behavior: Less aggressive than crayfish, but they are opportunistic hunters and may go after nearby shrimp or snails
- Origin: Lake Matano in Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Average adult size: 4 - 5 inches (10.2 - 12.7 cm) in diameter
- Average purchase size: 1 - 3 inches (2.5 - 7.6 cm) in diameter