Pitho Crab

The Pitho Crab, or Pitho mirabilis is a member of the Mithracidae family that includes Decorator Crabs and Emerald and Ruby Mithrax crabs. Their behavior is similar to that of Emerald Crabs, except they are more active and grow slightly larger. Females closely resemble Emerald Crabs, while the males look entirely different.

Pitho Mirabilis will consume a great deal of hair algae in your aquarium, they also eat complex macroalgae species like Valonia, (Bubble Algae), Caulerpa, Dictyota, and many turf algae species. The carapace (body section) of both male and female Pitho crabs grows to about the size of a quarter. Males have small claws, while the females have claws that double her body size. Both male and female crabs are non aggressive. The female's claws are defensive, the male crabs rely on camouflage alone and appear to have no ability to defend themselves from bothersome fish. 

We are proud to be the first company to offer this species to the hobby, soon I believe you will see them commonly in pet stores. Pitho crabs are abundant and widespread, making it an ideal species for aquaria. They are an excellent cleaner, and very personable. We have been hand feeding them Caulerpa and Gracilaria and they have trained us to feed them by approaching the tank and waving their claws about. Pictured below is the female Pitho Crab. Their coloring is variable.

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