Crabby Cravings
Hermit crab and exotic pet supplies
Coenobita brevimanus - Indos
Coenobita brevimanus - Indos, Brevis, Armoured Indos, Purple hermit crab.
Identifying features: Indos sport a much larger BP in comparison to their body than other species alongside thick exoskeletons, longer than average antenna and very long thin eyestalks tipped in round black eyes.
Colour range: Indos are generally purple, brown or shades in between. Pink Indos are also available and more sought after by enthusiasts.
Temperature: 27 - 29c
Humidity: 80%
Shell preference: Round openings such as green, silvermouth, Mexican, tapestry and jade turbos.
Dietary needs: Indos show a high preference for cellulose rich foods such as leaf litter, bark, flowers, leaves and other plant material. They will take protein but show a tendency to leave it in favour of plant based foods. Worm castings are also taken in large quantities. As always both fresh dechlorinated and marine salt water should be provided alongside a varied natural diet. Salt water is especially important to Indos as it is more readily available than fresh for many wild colonies.
Coenobita brevimanus are the largest captive hermit crab species (excluding the very rare occasional young coconut crab that is found to have been missold as an Indo). Adults can reach huge jumbo sizes which require a lot of space and can be intimidating to even experienced keepers due to the sheer size of their large claw.
Indos often come into captivity rather battered and seem to show a higher likelihood of missing limbs, eyes or claw damage, this may be related to them taking longer to get through their initial “Post Purchase Stress” period and the shyness around humans that can accompany it. Smaller Indos seem to be more sensitive to proximity stress than the larger but as with any species this varies from individual to individual and some crabs will be fine from the word go.
The substrate for Indos is best with a higher level of organic matter (coir) added to the sand and seems to benefit from the addition of some worm castings and leaf litter. Addition of woodlice to help prevent mould outbreaks and break down waste is recommended. Oversaturation of water in the substrate is more of an issue with Indos who have been observed to show strong disliking to it when overly damp. As much depth as possible should be provided due to their large size but as always a minimum of 3x the height of your largest crab should be available to allow for moulting and tunnelling. While they will climb Indos tend to be more terrestrial in their explorations than other crabs.
The brevimanus defensive position is nicknamed “storking” and features raised front legs and pushing with claws.
For general care information please see the appropriate guides.
Written by Rachel for Crabby Cravings, not to be reproduced or reused without permission.
