About Blue Leg Hermit
Small, useful cleanup crew. Munches algae and leftover food. Will occasionally murder snails for shells — keep extras around.
Blue Legs are the classic janitor crew member. Stock 1 per 5 gallons. They will fight with each other and with snails over shells, so always have empty shells in a range of sizes available.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Small hermit crab with vivid blue legs and orange-banded antennae. Adult size ~1 inch.
In your tank. Classic janitor crew member — eats film algae, leftover food, and detritus. Will fight with other hermits and snails over shells; always keep spare shells of varying sizes available.
Care notes. Stock 1 per 5 gallons. Reef-safe with caution — occasionally murders snails for shells. Compatible with most reef setups.
Sourcing and feeding. Wild-collected from Caribbean waters; sold in bulk by reef cleanup-crew suppliers ($1–3 each). Detritivore/scavenger — eats algae, leftover food, biofilm.
Care info is a starting point, not a guarantee. Individual specimens, water chemistry, and tankmate dynamics vary. Verify against multiple sources and adjust to what you observe. See our terms & disclaimers.
Related invertebrates
Sources & attribution
- Taxonomy and accepted name from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS AphiaID 367527).
- Description content adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo: (c) Chelle Temple-King, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).