Ever heard of the fascinating pea crab pet, which is the tiniest of all crab species? These small creatures, mostly found inside shells, have become the favorites of unique pet owners. Despite their small size, pea crabs contain lots of personality and charm. Their minimal care makes them a perfect addition to your pet collection.
Wondering about how to care for a pea pet crab? This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up their habitat, managing their diet, and maintaining water conditions for a healthy and happy life.
What is a Pea Crab Pet?
The pea crab is a small, soft-bodied crab that often lives symbiotically inside the shells of mollusks like oysters, mussels, clams and other species of bivalves. These unique crabs are prized for their very small size, delicate appearance, and quirky behaviors, making them an exciting choice for marine enthusiasts who wish to keep more unique aquatic pets.
Quick Overview of Pet Pea Crab Facts
- Scientific Name: Pinnotheres Pisum
- Common Names: Pea crab, Oyster crab, Pinnotherid crab
- Size: 0.5-2 cm
- Temperature: 50-86°F (10-30°C)
- Diet: Filter feeder
- Color: Pale white to translucent
- Lifespan: 2-3 years
Habitat and Distribution
Pea crabs are common to warmer Atlantic, Mediterranean and southeastern United States waters. They live symbiotically inside the bivalves, oysters and mussels, generally in sheltered shallow habitats.
Appearance
The pea crab is small, ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 cm in size. It has a soft, translucent body that is pale white or pinkish in color, sometimes with subtle markings, making it a very delicate yet highly interesting marine animal.
Behaviour
The pea crab has very unique symbiotic tendencies as they live in the shells of a host organism. Being docile and feeding on plankton or particles filtered through the host makes it very undemanding in the saltwater aquarium.
Lifespan
Under ideal aquarium conditions, pea crabs pet can have a life span of 2 to 3 years. Having a suitable host and maintaining nice water quality greatly increases their lifespan in captivity.
Can I Keep a Pea Crab as a Pet?
Yes, you can keep pea crabs as a pet, but it’s not as simple as adding them to any tank. I have one, and they need a very specific environment. Pea crab pets require saltwater aquariums with host bivalves like oysters or mussels, which they depend on for food and shelter. You must maintain stable water conditions with proper temperature and salinity. They do best in shallow, sheltered areas where they can hide within their host. For anyone new to aquariums, I’d recommend more research before deciding if a pet pea crab is the right pet for you.
Note: If you’re intrigued by other unique crab species, check out these guides on the Teddy Bear Crab and Pitho Crab to expand your knowledge and collection.
How Can You Keep a Pea Crab as a Pet?
Having a pea crab as pet can be a rewarding and intriguing experience. However, it will require much thought and a tailored environment for this pet. If you are wondering how to keep a pea crab alive, you should know that they have special needs.
These unique crustaceans need a specific set of conditions to be met, particularly regarding their symbiotic relationship with a bivalve, an oyster or mussel. Their small size may mislead one to believe that minimum attention is needed, but rather they require a very special set of requirements to be cared for in captivity.
Here’s a video for a closer look at the fascinating world of pea crabs:
@otterspotter33 Posh Pea Crab update #animalrescue #peacrab #fyp #sisters #kirby @sarahchasefountain
♬ Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi
Creating the Ideal Environment
When setting up a home for your pea crab pet, you have to remember that their setting is everything for their survival. You need to take the closest setup to their natural conditions.
Tank Size
Pea crabs are small, but they do need a sufficient amount of space in which to move around. The ideal size tank for one or two crabs is from 5 to 10 gallons.
Substrate
Provide soft, fine sand or soft gravel to simulate their natural seabed habitat for normal locomotion and to reduce stress among the crabs.
Bivalve Hosts
Pea crabs depend on living bivalves, such as mussels and oysters, for food and shelter. Living in their hosts, they feed on filtered particles and mucus in captivity. Thus eliminating the need to feed them directly. Without bivalves, they cannot survive. Thus, a continuous supply of suitable hosts is important in their habitat.
Water Quality and Stability
Like most marine creatures, pea pet crabs are sensitive to the water conditions around them. Thus, good quality and clean, stable conditions are important.
Salinity
The salinity level should also be kept up to 36 parts per thousand (ppt).
Temperature
Maintain the water temperature between 50-86°F (10-30°C), where it should stay within a comfort zoe.
Filtration
Filtration is necessary to maintain the water well-oxygenated and free of toxins. Use a proper system that guarantees continuous water circulation.
Feeding and Care
Unlike most pet crabs, like fiddler crabs and hermit crabs, pea crabs do not require direct feeding. They rely on filter-feeding mollusks to take in the plankton along with other minute particles in the water.
Molting Process and Tank Space
The growth cycle of the pea crab pet involves molting. It is done by shedding off the old exoskeleton to allow new growth, and they need a comfortable space for the same.
Choosing the Right Tankmates
While pea crabs are non-aggressive, active swimmers such as some varieties of Danios or Otocinclus catfish may work, simply because these tend to avoid becoming targets of potential nippy attitude in a crab.
For more regarding compatible tankmates, check out the articles on Strawberry Crab.
What Do Pea Crabs Eat?
Pea crabs primarily feed on particles filtered by their host bivalves, such as oysters or mussels. They depend on these filter-feeding mollusks to obtain plankton and small organic matter from the water, negating direct feeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you feed a pea crab?
The pea crab does not require direct feeding since they feed on small particles filtered by their host bivalves, such as oysters and mussels, on which they depend for nutrition.
How big does a pea crab get?
Pea crabs are very tiny, 0.5 to 2 cm in average size. They are one of the smallest species of crabs, most of which live inside the shells of bivalves.
Are pea crabs safe?
Yes, pea crabs are harmless to humans. These little and non-aggressive creatures do not pose any dangers and generally feed on the particles filtered by their mollusk hosts.
Are pea crabs harmful to humans?
No, pea crabs do not hurt humans because they have no desire to hurt you and are rather focused on their bivalve relationships than with higher-order mammals such as yourselves.
Can pea crabs survive in freshwater?
No, pea crabs cannot tolerate freshwater. They are marine species, and that involves salinity in the water. Freshwater lacks the salinity and minerals required for the pea crab, which needs stable saline conditions to be healthy.
