Halloween Hermit Crabs

[Van down by the river]

Hello SamW,
If you are thinking of them for your reef I'd advise against it.
They will most likely eat your small inverts.

Striped Hermit, Halloween Hermit

Ciliopagurus strigatus
previously named: Trizopagurus strigatus
They say up to 6cm(Carapace) 8cm Total length. John Hoover disagrees - "The maximum carapace length is probably about 1in." but I've never seen one bigger than 2-3cm(Carapace). Although I have never kept one myself.I guess they may have all been juveniles,who knows .

Red Sea ,Indo Pacific
20ft or deeper

Baensch- "T.strigatus is a medium -sized hermit which should only be associated with robust invertabrates and fishes."

They have specialized to utilize Cone shells which are unusable by most other hermits. If you do purchase one, I suggest you buy a few slightly larger cone shell "homes" for them as they grow. I find them quite comical as they "struggle" to get around the aquarium. I don't think you will feel the same way as he happily munches your snails and smaller hermits.
Anywys good luck
Van