Dwarf Ghost Crab

The Dwarf Ghost Crab has its natural origins in Malaysia and Indonesia and is a truely tiny with a carapace length of only 1 cm and a total size of 2-3 cm. It is a novelty in aquaristics and is therefore still rare to find.

Care in the aquarium

The aquarium, which has a capacity of at least 30 liters, should be equipped with fine plants, stones and roots in and under which the crab can stay and hide. In its natural habitat it rarely goes on land, which is why a part of land is not absolutely necessary. However, fine-feathered floating plants should ideally be present. Since crabs are good climbers, the tank should be escape-proof. This very peaceful mini crab is a very social animal and should therefore be kept in a group with at least 5 of its own so that it feels comfortable. Due to its small size, it is only recommended to keep the Dwarf Ghost Crab with dwarf shrimp and snails. When it comes to fish, only very small fish species such as dwarf corydoras, Microrasbora or dwarf danios of the Boraras genus come into question. Of course, it’s ideal if you offer her a species tank in which she can best express her natural behavior.

Feeding

The Dwarf Ghost Crab is an omnivore, meaning it eats both animal food and plant food such as leaves. High-quality crab and shrimp food as well as catfish food are suitable as food. You can also offer them fine frozen food such as Cyclops or Artemia nauplii from time to time. In addition, there should always be brown foliage such as sea almond tree leaves, oak or beech leaves in the aquarium.

Sexual characteristics and breeding

Distinguishing the sexes is somewhat difficult in this species. When fully grown, the males are slightly larger and wider than the females. Breeding in the aquarium has probably not been successful yet, or only rarely, because the crab larvae need brackish water to develop.