
This is a method of shedding an old exoskeleton to develop a bigger one and to fit a growing individual crab. It doesn’t matter which crustaceans you keep in your aquarium, all of them will go through molting. Other tank mates will surely be ignored by the Pom Pom crabs. Male pom pom crabs will display to each other occasionally, however, this rarely results in injury. Pom pom crabs use their claws in order to move sand around and burrow the sand into the tank’s substrate. To prevent them from escaping the aquarium must be secured with a tight-fitting lid.Ĭrabs are also very good at digging. Because of their activeness, you will find them hiding behind aquarium equipment. Sometimes their active behavior will create a lot of problems. You can notice them wandering around the aquarium, generally to scavenge some food. These species are more active than most other crab species. However, if given the opportunity they can spend short periods on land. This protects you from the trouble of designing a tank with a mixture of land and water. Typical Behaviorįreshwater pom pom crab species are fully aquatic which means from larvae to adults they spend their whole lifecycle submerged in freshwater. In captivity, most individual crabs don’t survive more than a year, even in the healthiest of conditions. The lifespan of these crabs can change dramatically. Poor living conditions could expose the crab to a myriad of health issues and diseases. Top-notch care for this creature is important if you want to keep them alive as long as possible because the life expectancy of pom pom crabs is so short. LifespanĬaring for pom pom crabs is a short-lived effort because these crabs have an average lifespan of about one year or less. Call up different pet stores to find your nearest stock or search around online.ĭepending on your area, a Freshwater Pom Pom Crab could cost you from $10 to $20. Since this species is quite rare anyway, and also they are new to the fishkeeping hobby, finding stock of this creature near you could be difficult. The freshwater pom pom crabs get their name from their claws that have attached filter fans, while the marine species get their name from anemones that they always carry around in their claws.

It is always confused with a marine species which has the exact common name, but those names are for different reasons.

Populations of wild Pom Pom Crabs have been found in tropical regions such as Japan, India, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, and Comoros. Nonetheless, their popularity is increasing day by day, likely because of their hardy and tiny nature that makes them perfect for nano setups. Since this species is new to the fishkeeping world, there is limited scientific research and very little information is available on the internet about the Freshwater Pom Pom Crabs. Sometimes they are referred to as Cheerleading Crabs or Hong Kong Crabs. The Freshwater Pom Pom Crab, also known as Ptychognathus barbatus, is a crustacean that belongs to the Grapsidae family. Are Freshwater Pom Pom Crabs Suitable for Your Aquarium? Category
