Shake in Fear foolish tank creatures for Smashu is home.
Smashu is a Emerald Crab I named after my Troll Warrior from Everquest, isn't she cute, and she looks very Trollish sitting there eating some Algae.
The Emerald Crab, a.k.a. Green Mithrax Crab, is a very popular aquarium
species. These crabs have a distinct pre-historic look with their bumpy shells
and hairy legs. They are completely green in color and have flattened tips to
their claws designed specifically to pull at algae. They are sought after in the
aquarium trade for their diet of nuisance bubble algae and other algae in
general. They are voracious algae eaters and
very docile. They cling to rockwork as they forage and they move very slowly.
More than one can be kept in the same tank. They are also good scavengers.
Crabs belong to the Class Crustacea and Order Decapoda, which is characterized
by two pair of antennae, three body parts, and five pairs of legs. The head of a
Crab is connected to the thorax and covered by a shell called carapace. They
have a smaller abdomen and tail compared to Shrimp and they keep this tucked
beneath the carapace. The first pair of their legs are usually developed claws
which they use to gather food, use as protection, and to move objects. In order
for Crabs to grow they need to shed their exoskeleton, a process called
"molting", which allows them to remove their restricting shell and begin a new
one. Often times in the home aquarium Crabs will leave this translucent shell in
full view so it can serve as a distraction while the Crab finds a hiding place
and allows its new shell to harden.







