The Birds And The Bees

[MaxPlastic]

...
So... After reading some stuff online... I think I may have sexed my hermits BACKWARDS! This wouldn't be a problem normally, but they all have specific pirate names, and I'm so anal I'll have to change their names (It's not like they know them anyway...). When I first got them I read that the males have the visible gonopores. Well... The stuff I read today says they BOTH have visible gonopores, but the females have them on the THIRD pair of WALKING legs and the males have them on the FIFTH pair of legs...

[Wai]

Well... the stuff I read today says they BOTH have visible gonopores, but the females have them on the THIRD pair of WALKING legs and the males have them on the FIFTH pair of legs...

That's the correct one, according to a scientific thesis I read.

[CrabbyJo]

WHAT!

Oh great. Now I have to go back and look at my photos... bleh....

[emmac350]

Honestly, does knowing the gender of your crabs really matter that much? Maybe I'm alone here, but for me, I name my crabs after their apparent personalities (and a little bit after the color of their first shell in some cases) but I don't change their name if I find out that the crab I gave a certain name to isn't the gender of that name. For the most part, I give them boy names and leave it at that. Does having the correct gender's name matter that much to everyone else?

[MaxPlastic]

For me it does... Just 'cos I'm anal lol I like for them to all have a shared theme with their names. And I name them after their personalities too, but the name matches the personality. For example, for the rename, I named one of my hermits Hephaestus (Greek God of Fire), 'cos he's and has strong bright red legs. I dunno, it matters to me. I know it doesn't matter to the crabs lol

[CrabbyJo]

Actually it doesn't really matter to me, either, Emma. But if I do happen to sex a crab, I can't seem to call a female by a male name, so I end up changing it. at least, so far! Maybe since I've had them so long now it wouldn't matter.

[ladybug15057]

Doesn't matter that much to me either. Majority of mine are named by personalities too or other notable features. My daughter named one of hers King Crab because of her size and how she carried herself with such pride. Named her by the hairy leg method. (same one CrabWorks named hers by) and come to find King Crab Was actually a queen hermie, but the name stuck. Seemed she also could feel the vibrations of her name too when it was called.
Hermies are a little skittish when bought and with every reason to be too due to what they have been through since their capture. IMO it isn't that relevant to sex them to name them, but I like to name them not long after getting them home. So personalities work best here.

[CrabbyJo]

Marie, glory be, are you saying you have crabs (or at least one) that comes when their name is called?

I know there are crabs that come when they know it's feeding time, but actually a name call, meaning "I'm here and I want to interact with you", not "I'm here with food"?

How incredibly neat!

[ladybug15057]

It maybe too that King Crab knew when her name was called 'something' was up. Be it time to come out to play or feeding time, but yes she would peek out and come towards the front of the tank. (and yepper one of the first to the food dish) But sadly she passed away couple years ago. Longer story shorter, why now all crushed oyster shells are ground into a powder before going into the food dish.

[CrabbyJo]

ohhh. She's the one got her abdomen punctured by a piece of oyster shell? So sorry to hear it. Yes, must be careful.