Mystery Hermit Crab

[midgetwaiter]

So I got some weird hermit cabs with an order I did from J&L a few months ago.

You couldn't really tell they were not blue legs when they were little but now you can see the difference. The things are complete bastards. They grow twice as fast as anything I've ever seen and they kill snails constantly. I saw one take a pincer off my sally lightfoot yesterday. They also are constantly on the move knocking stuff over and being a big PITA.

The first couple to get big I wrote off as a fluke and they went to visit in the puffer tank, ;). Now I have 4 more that are growing up and causing problems.

I'm trying to figure out what they are. I have no problem letting them visit the puffers too but if they are something rare or unusual I'd keep them or give them to someone with an interest in such things.

I have some bad pics. They don't sit still much and my camera's auto focus has problems with that.

Here's a pic where you can see the pattern on the legs They are a blue / black colour with vertical white stripes on the legs. The stripes to don't wrap around like a left handed / zebra hermit.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e88/midgetwaiter/Mystery%20Hermit/crab1.jpg

Here's a close up of one of the smaller ones. He's got bright red Claws with white dots
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e88/midgetwaiter/Mystery%20Hermit/crab2.jpg

And finally a comparison of one of them next to a regular blue leg.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e88/midgetwaiter/Mystery%20Hermit/crabcompare.jpg



Anyone have some ideas or know of a good picture reference?

[turtlesoup]

Sent the girlfriend to pick up 5 blue legs for J&L, when they had there sale a while back and she ended up with only 1 true blue leg and 4 of the others. Ever since, I've noticed quite a few of my other blue legged and red legged hermits going missing.

[midgetwaiter]

I sent some pictures off to J&L and WWM.

J&L has no idea what they are but they gave me a credit for them, I thought that was pretty decent of them.

[digital-audiophile]

I got a number of the ones with the vertical stripes in a batch of blue legs. I ended up giving them away becuase they grew big really fast. Never saw them attacking snails or other crabs though.