Cardisoma armatum: Difference between revisions

Cardisoma armatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Superfamily:	Grapsoidea
Family:	Gecarcinidae
Genus:	Cardisoma
Species:	C. armatum
Binomial name
	Cardisoma armatum; Herklots, 1851

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Revision as of 09:38, 2 July 2011

Cardisoma armatum, commonly known as patriot crab or moon crab to the pet owners, is a species of terrestrial crab. Like most crabs, this species can grow its broken limbs back in the next moult.

Names

It is sometimes referred to as the (African) rainbow crab, (Nigerian) moon crab or patriot crab. Adults are sometimes labelled as soapdish crabs in the pet industry. This name derives from their aggressive nature as adults and when being shipped to pet stores, they are often packed in soap dishes to prevent them from killing each other. The names moon crab and soapdish crab are sometimes applied to other similar crab species, leading to frequent confusion with other colourful crabs such as the three remaining species of Cardisoma, Gecarcinus ruricola and G. quadratus (all except C. carnifex from the Americas).

Distribution

Cardisoma armatum originates from coastal regions of western Africa, but it also occurs inland along some deltas (e.g. the Volta river delta), and on islands such as Cape Verde.

Description

When young, these crabs typically have a blueish/violet carapace, red–coloured legs, and whitish claws. This coloration usually fades as the animal grows older. They can reach a carapace size of 20 cm across, although captive individuals rarely reach this size.

Diet

Diet in the wild

Their diet consists mainly of fruit, vegetation and carrion. They are omnivorous, with food within their diet range including small reptiles and amphibians, molluscs, fish, and insects if they can catch them, and prefers them dead. They are known to be cannibalistic, and will consume smaller crabs. They also consume their former exoskeleton after moulting.

Diet while in captivity

As a pet, Cardisoma armatums eat almost whatever edible substances is given, and usually are able to eat lizard and fish pellets. To keep up with a healthy lifestyle, owners prefer feeding them with natural food, alternatively switching among cabbage, lettuce, feeder fish and dead worms.

In captivity as a domesticated crab

The moon crab prefers a tank with about one-third of soil, gravels, land of the base and two-thirds of water, as long as there is a path for them to reach land. A tank with 100% water is also okay, provided that it will be able to climb out of the water and stay in the air for some time, though this is discouraged as it might drown. Mixing it with fish is also not encouraged, as you might end up with no fish.

A common mistake in moon crab owners is that they always put two crabs for them to socialise. This is wrong as moon crabs are antisocial and prefer to be alone, owning the tank to itself. Putting an extra crab results in fights and the loss of legs, though they will grow back at the next moult.

Ecology and life cycle

While juvenile and adult crabs spend most of their time on dry land, the females must return to the ocean to release their eggs. The eggs hatch into microscopic larvae, and later on develop into young crabs. If the young do not make landfall by the time they are fully developed they will drown.

References

Bright, D., & C. Hogue. 1972. A synopsis of burrowing land crabs of the World and list of their arthropod symbionts and burrow associates. Contributions in Science. No. 220. Available online (PDF)
Matt Clarke (2005-11-14). "Rainbow crab, Cardisoma armatum". Practical Fishkeeping.
D. Warren. "Cardisoma armatum". Retrieved 2007-07-16.
Your Guide to Pet Crabs, a small brochure.

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 }}
-'''''Cardisoma armatum''''' is a [[species]] of [[land crab|terrestrial crab]].
+'''''Cardisoma armatum''''', commonly known as '''patriot crab''' or '''moon crab''' to the pet owners, is a species of [[land crab|terrestrial crab]]. Like most crabs, this species can grow its broken limbs back in the next moult.
 ==Names==
-It is sometimes referred to as the '''(African) rainbow crab''', '''(Nigerian) moon crab''' or '''patriot crab'''. Adults are sometimes labelled as ''soapdish crabs'' in the [[pet industry]]. This name derives from their [[aggression|aggressive nature]] as adults and when being shipped to pet stores, they are often packed in [[soap dish]]es to prevent them from killing each other. The names ''moon crab'' and ''soapdish crab'' are sometimes applied to other similar crab species, leading to frequent confusion with other colourful crabs such as the three remaining species of ''[[Cardisoma]]'', ''[[Gecarcinus ruricola]]'' and ''[[Gecarcinus quadratus|G. quadratus]]'' (all except ''[[Cardisoma carnifex|C. carnifex]]'' from the [[Americas]]).
+It is sometimes referred to as the '''(African) rainbow crab''', '''(Nigerian) moon crab''' or '''patriot crab'''. Adults are sometimes labelled as ''soapdish crabs'' in the [[Pet shipping|pet industry]]. This name derives from their [[aggression|aggressive nature]] as adults and when being shipped to pet stores, they are often packed in [[soap dish]]es to prevent them from killing each other. The names ''moon crab'' and ''soapdish crab'' are sometimes applied to other similar crab species, leading to frequent confusion with other colourful crabs such as the three remaining species of ''[[Cardisoma]]'', ''[[Gecarcinus ruricola]]'' and ''[[Gecarcinus quadratus|G. quadratus]]'' (all except ''[[Cardisoma carnifex|C. carnifex]]'' from the [[Americas]]).
 ==Distribution==
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 ==Description==
 When young, these crabs typically have a blueish/violet [[carapace]], red–coloured legs, and whitish claws. This coloration usually fades as the animal grows older. They can reach a carapace size of 20&nbsp;cm across, although captive individuals rarely reach this size.
+==Diet==
+===Diet in the wild===
+Their diet consists mainly of [[fruit]], vegetation and [[carrion]]. They are omnivorous, with food within their diet range including small [[reptile]]s and [[amphibian]]s, [[mollusc]]s, [[fish]], and [[insect]]s if they can catch them, and prefers them dead. They are known to be [[cannibalism|cannibalistic]], and will consume smaller crabs. They also consume their former [[exoskeleton]] after moulting.
+===Diet while in captivity===
+As a pet, ''Cardisoma armatums'' eat almost whatever edible substances is given, and usually are able to eat lizard and fish pellets. To keep up with a healthy lifestyle, owners prefer feeding them with natural food, alternatively switching among [[cabbage]], [[lettuce]], [[feeder fish]] and dead [[worms]].
+==In captivity as a domesticated crab==
+The moon crab prefers a tank with about one-third of soil, gravels, land of the base and two-thirds of water, as long as there is a path for them to reach land. A tank with 100% water is also okay, provided that it will be able to climb out of the water and stay in the air for some time, though this is discouraged as it might drown. Mixing it with fish is also not encouraged, as you might end up with no fish.
+A common mistake in moon crab owners is that they always put two crabs for them to ''socialise''. This is wrong as moon crabs are antisocial and prefer to be alone, owning the tank to itself. Putting an extra crab results in fights and the loss of legs, though they will grow back at the next moult.
 ==Ecology and life cycle==
-Their diet consists mainly of [[fruit]], vegetation and [[carrion]]. They are known to be [[cannibalism|cannibalistic]], and will consume smaller crabs, small [[reptile]]s and [[amphibian]]s, [[mollusc]]s, [[fish]], and [[insect]]s if they can catch them. While juvenile and adult crabs spend most of their time on dry land, the females must return to the [[ocean]] to release their eggs. The eggs hatch into microscopic larvae, and later on develop into young crabs. If the young do not make landfall by the time they are fully developed they will drown.
+While juvenile and adult crabs spend most of their time on dry land, the females must return to the [[ocean]] to release their eggs. The eggs hatch into microscopic larvae, and later on develop into young crabs. If the young do not make landfall by the time they are fully developed they will drown.
 ==References==
@@ Line 33: / Line 44: @@
 *{{cite web |url=http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=426 |title=Rainbow crab, ''Cardisoma armatum'' |author=Matt Clarke |publisher=[[Practical Fishkeeping]] |date=2005-11-14}}
 *{{cite web |url=http://freewebs.com/rainbowcrab/info.html |title=''Cardisoma armatum'' |author=D. Warren |accessdate=2007-07-16}}
+*Your Guide to Pet Crabs, a small brochure.
 [[Category:Grapsoidea]]