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Peaceful and shy.
239 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful and shy.
Fine powdered foods.
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Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Larval (needs brackish/salt) ·
Not documented as bred in captivity. Females release free-swimming larvae that are thought to develop in fresh water, but this is still unconfirmed.
Buy a group of 6-10. Males are smaller.
Not reliably bred at home. Needs a brackish rearing system and tiny food.
Unknown; occasional spawns in well-kept tanks.
Females carry tiny eggs. Larvae need brackish water.
Larvae are very small. They need fine plankton and very clean water.
A tiny, fully aquatic crab first found living on the roots of water hyacinths in Thailand's Tha Chin River and described by Christina Chuang and Peter Ng in 1991.
Chuang and Ng described this tiny crab in 1991. It lives among the roots of floating plants and filters food from the water. With a body only about 1 cm wide, it is one of the smallest crabs kept by aquarists.
First described by Chuang & Peter K. L. Ng in 1991. Named for Named after Thai crab specialist Phaibul Naiyanetr.
14 facts checked with sources
Invertebrate (freshwater crab, a hymenosomatid 'false spider crab' or 'pill-box crab'). Placed in Hymenicoides in 1995, then Limnopilos was resurrected by Naruse & Ng 2007; Limnopilos naiyanetri is current. Patoka et al. warn that misidentification is likely if the look-alike L. microrhynchus or L. sumatranus enter the trade. Legacy aka 'spider crab' risks confusion with marine spider crabs.
Wikipedia: Limnopilos naiyanetri (cites Chuang & Ng 1991, Raffles Bull. Zool. 39: 363-368; Naruse & Ng 2007, Zootaxa 1621; Patoka et al. 2019)Legacy has no family; recorded as sourced.
Wikipedia: Limnopilos naiyanetri (cites Chuang & Ng 1991, Raffles Bull. Zool. 39: 363-368; Naruse & Ng 2007, Zootaxa 1621; Patoka et al. 2019)Carapace width. Leg span reaches about 2.5 cm (Wikipedia).
Wikipedia: Limnopilos naiyanetri (cites Chuang & Ng 1991, Raffles Bull. Zool. 39: 363-368; Naruse & Ng 2007, Zootaxa 1621; Patoka et al. 2019) · Patoka et al. 2019, Diversity 11(6): 91, Invasive potential of pet-traded pill-box crabs from genus Limnopilos (doi:10.3390/d11060091)Legacy 23-28 lies within 22-28.
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)Single hobby source gives 6.5-7.0; legacy upper end 7.5 is slightly above it. Small difference.
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)70-150 ppm (as CaCO3) / 17.85 = 3.9-8.4 dGH, about 4-8 dGH. Source doesn't say GH or total hardness; read as general hardness. Legacy had none.
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)For a colony of up to 10. 5 US gal = 19 L, about 20 L. Source says 10+ gallons (38 L) is easier to keep stable.
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)Hobby source only; about 1.5 years versus legacy 1 year.
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)Shy and nocturnal; forages on plants and mosses (Wikipedia).
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)The Shrimp Farm difficulty level.
The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)Legacy has no range; recorded as sourced. Traded animals traced to Thailand (Patoka et al.).
Wikipedia: Limnopilos naiyanetri (cites Chuang & Ng 1991, Raffles Bull. Zool. 39: 363-368; Naruse & Ng 2007, Zootaxa 1621; Patoka et al. 2019) · Patoka et al. 2019, Diversity 11(6): 91, Invasive potential of pet-traded pill-box crabs from genus Limnopilos (doi:10.3390/d11060091)'Not at home' is right. The legacy breeding type 'larval (needs brackish/salt)' and the legacy setup/eggs text saying larvae need brackish water are not supported: sources say larvae are presumed to stay in fresh water.
Wikipedia: Limnopilos naiyanetri (cites Chuang & Ng 1991, Raffles Bull. Zool. 39: 363-368; Naruse & Ng 2007, Zootaxa 1621; Patoka et al. 2019) · The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer) · Patoka et al. 2019, Diversity 11(6): 91, Invasive potential of pet-traded pill-box crabs from genus Limnopilos (doi:10.3390/d11060091)Core claims supported. 'See-through' not quote-checked.
Wikipedia: Limnopilos naiyanetri (cites Chuang & Ng 1991, Raffles Bull. Zool. 39: 363-368; Naruse & Ng 2007, Zootaxa 1621; Patoka et al. 2019) · The Shrimp Farm: Thai micro crab care (established invertebrate breeder/retailer)