Crabs

Crabs are found in almost every marine environment and a useful function in the reef aquarium. Since they are scavengers of any edible matter, crabs constantly sift through the substrate and scour the rocks for algae, detritus, and anything dead. If a small fish dies it simply becomes food for the crabs.

Most of the dwarf hermit crabs will eat hair algae and act as a clean-up crew in the reef tank. They vary in size from 1 to 2 inches and are named by the color of their legs. When they molt they will take on a larger shell if there is one available.

The Red Leg Hermit Crab is helpful in keeping algae under control, including filamentous algae and slime algae. Grows to 1 1/2 inches.