Geosesarma Sp. "vampire"

[Kevin_D]

Today Ive noticed some baby vampire crabs in their tank. Ive counted seven, but theres likely more of them in there. They are approx 2-4mm or so, and are fully formed crabs. In the first pic the crab is towards the top right of the picture, next to the white gravel,

and a picture of one of the adults,

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Very nice!

I've been looking for these guys everywhere, where did you get them?

 

[Kevin_D]

wilder reptiles, they are based in the UK, I think they may have got them from Germany though.

 

[Esfa]

omg, so cool!

another thing to add to the list of "must have, when i've won the lotto"

 

[TylerFerretLord]

I can't wait to get some.

Just to be sure, you're not keeping them in brackish water, right? These guys are freshwater.

 

[Esfa]

do these have like purple claws?

i'm sure my lfs had some in recently....i just assumed they were brackish

 

[Kevin_D]

yeah, they have purple claws, Ive read on another forum that maidenhead aquatics has stocked them in the UK as "purple crabs"

Yeah, Ive been keeping them in freshwater since I got them around 4-5 months ago, the young are fully developed when they hatch, unlike brackish species.

 

[Esfa]

yeah, they were labled as "purple claw crabs".

Might need to ask them to order more in...

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Do these guys have a white back?

If they do I think planetinverts is going to be selling them.

 

[Kevin_D]

its variable, some have a whitish/yellowish pattern on the top of the carapace though. According to their site they have them in stock now, the are vampire crabs,

[URL="http/www.planetinverts.com/store/index.p...ex&cPath=74"]http/www.planetinverts.com/store/index.p...ex&cPath=74[/URL]

The Cheetah Crabs on their site (Parathelphusa pantherina) are also a freshwater species, the other two may also be.

edit: just seen from their site that they are currently sold out.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

They've been sold out since they put them up. I guess they're breeding them.

at the cheetahs being fresh.

Do you have any links to where you got this info? I'd like to read up.

 

[Kevin_D]

Theres info on them here,

http/www.interaquaristik.de/catalog/aqua...-p-10452-1.html

Its in German, but can be translated with an online translator

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Thanks.

I should probably learn German once I'm done with my French studies.