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Hermit Crab Nutrition Table
Description
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Foods
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Reference
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A precausion has been taken not to include dairy in the
diet, though NO scientific evidence supports that hermit
crabs are lactose intollerant, yet NO evidence has been
found to support that they can eat dairy. (so far)
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NA
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Amino Acids (proteins) needed in the diet for crustaceans
are Arginine, Histadine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine,
Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine.
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Beans, nuts, tofu, eggs, meats, fish, fish food flakes,
cat & dog food, hermit crab food
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(Claybrook 1983)
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Cholesterol must be in the diet for the hermit crab to
make hormones. (Some of these are involved in molting).
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Plain scrambled eggs
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Crustaceans are able to digest chitin, a component in thier
exoskeleton
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NA
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Fats: Linolenic omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids are needed
in a hermit crabs diet
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Walnuts, Flax Seed, Salmon, Deep Sea Fish
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Glucose is used to make chitin (the main component of the
exoskeleton).
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Any starchy (rice, potatoes) or sugary (fresh fruit) food
can be utilized as a source of glucose (and therefore chitin).
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(Stevenson 1985)
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High protein level of 50% of total food is required for
growth.
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Nuts, Seeds, Beans, Eggs, Spirulina, Fish Food Flakes,
Cat Food, Dog Food, or Hermit Crab Food should always be
a part of each nightly food offering. Spirulina (dried seaweed)
is 48% protein by calories.
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Mineral: calcium is needed in the diet
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Green leafy vegies, broccoli, salmon, sardines, lobster
and crab exoskeletons; crushed up egg shell, sand dollars,
and oyster shells, calci sand substrate
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Mineral: copper is needed in the diet.
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Oyster, shellfish, whole grains, beans, nuts, walnuts,
dark leafy greens, dried fruits, organ meats, spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Mineral: phosphorus is needed in the diet.
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Foods high in protein such as meat (or pet foods)
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Mineral: potassium is needed in the diet.
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fish, meats, broccoli, peas, lima beans, potatoe skins,
leafy green vegies, citrus fruits, apples, bananas, apricots
(fresh or dried), spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Mineral: salts and trace elements are needed in the diet.
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Sea saltwater dish, ocean water is about 1/2 tbs sea salt
per cup of water (chlorine will come out of the water is
left standing over night.)
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Some crustaceans are able to digest cellulose, but wether
it is digested by the microfauna is debatable. Detritus,
litter feeding animals may eat cellulose that is already
digested by microorganisms.
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Fallen leaves and dead twigs from outside and coconut husk
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Suppliments: calcium
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crustacean exoskeletons (dried shrimp exos, or empty exos
collected from a beach); calcium suppliments for people,
cuttle bone; crushed shells; crushed coral; crushed eggs
shells
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hermit crab web groups and websites
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The midgut gland is a storage site for fats and sugars,
much like the human liver.
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NA
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(Chang & O'Connor 1983)
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Vitamin A and carotenoids are needed in the diet.
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Dark leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, pumkin
and squash, spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) is needed in the diet.
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Sunflower seeds, peanuts, wheat bran, beef liver, pork,
seafood, egg-yolk, beans, spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is needed as a coenzyme, is essential
for growth of larvae, and must be in diet as crabs cannot
produce it on their own.
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Cereal, nuts, eggs, green leafy vegetables, meat, spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin, or Nicotinamide) is needed in the diet.
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fish, poltry, meat, nuts, eggs, spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid, or Pantothenate) is needed
in the diet.
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eggs, fish, meat, whole grain cereals, legumes, broccoli
and other cabbage family vegies, potatoes, sweet potatoes,
spirulina
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine, or Pyridoxal phosphate) is needed
in the diet
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Fish, bread, beans, legumes, cereals, eggs
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin B9 (Folic acid, or Folate) is needed in the diet
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Beans, legumes, citrus fruits, whole grains, dark green
leafy vegies, poultry, pork, shellfish, liver
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin D is needed for proper health (but I was not able
to find if hermit crabs can make it themselves with sunlight\,
or if they need to have it in their diet. Either way\,
having it in their diet would not hurt.)
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Fish, vitamin D fortified margarine, fortified cereals
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin D plays a role in molting.
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NA
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(Wheatly 1999)
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Vitamin E is needed in the diet.
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Nuts, olives, vegetable oils
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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Vitamin H (Biotin) is needed in the diet
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eggs, fish, meat, whole grain cereals, legumes, broccoli
and other cabbage family vegies, potatoes, sweet potatoes
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( Dall & Moriarty 1983)
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