PH Range: 7.8 – 8.2

Temperature Range: 80 -84 F

Hardness Range: 5-8Kh

Life Span: 2-3 years

Size: 4-8 cm diameter w/ legs

Diet: Omnivorous

Habitat: aquatic/semi aquatic

These crabs are Sulawesi in origin and from the lake Matano, this is one of five in the Malili lake system. They are relatively new to the hobby with many being kept by German hobbyists. They are an attractive orange color with black spots all over them. The markings are where their common name came from. These guys will take out slow moving fish or ones that are sick. They can safely be housed with Tetras, Guppies, Mollys, Bettas or Catfish. Since some hobbyists believe these crabs like to come out of the water it’s a good idea to have a small landing place for them, but is not necessary. You will want to have a cover on your tank as they can be escape artists and you don’t want to find your crab running through the house. As with most invertebrates they do much better if they are in a tank that has very clean water so be sure to keep up on your water changes. These guys will eat all sorts of food, they like sinking shrimp pellets, bloodworms and they will eat dead plant material and leaves. They should be supplemented with algae wafers and sinking pellets. In addition to this you’ll want to offer calcium supplements so their shells maintain their form. If you flip your crab over, the female will have a shell that has a salmon-colored round area with a ‘tip’ at the top. On the males, the entire under shell is white/ivory but has lines that make it look like a butterfly has been drawn on its underside. Most crabs berry in a similar fashion to crayfish and the Panther Crab is thought to have a larval stage where the young stay very close as if attached to the female. These aren’t considered an aggressive crab; however larger, slow moving fish may become a target if you don’t keep them well fed. In addition it’s important to keep plenty of hiding places in your tank for your crabs. If you have several then you should have at least more dwellings than you have crabs. When they molt, they will be voraciously hungry so leave their shed shells in the tank as they will eat these to salvage nutrients and remember to offer plenty of food. Crabs can be escape artists so make sure to have a tank with a tight fitting lid. Never release your pets into the wild as they can become invasive.