''Aniculus maximus'', the "hairy yellow hermit crab" or "large hairy hermit crab", is an aquatic hermit crab of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Calcinidae Calcinidae is a family of aquatic hermit crab of the superfamily Paguroidea. The following genera are currently accepted within Calcinidae'':'' * '' Allodardanus'' Haig & Provenzano, 1965 * '' Aniculus'' Dana, 1852 * '' Bathynarius'' Forest, 1 ...

Description

Their colour ranges from intense red to golden yellow. They have yellow hairy legs. Their shield is marked with a series of furrows.

Diet

They are omnivores eating both algae and fishes. They may opportunistically prey on helpless organisms.

Distributed

They are found in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region.

Use in aquariums

They may be used as aquarium cleaning crabs and may be used to check algae growth, but they may attack tank mates and reefs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4478307 Hermit crabs Crustaceans described in 1952