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The half crabPetrolisthes Elongatus is a porcelain crab indigenous to New Zealand and the surrounding area. Folk wisdom, which is still reported, states that half crabs are opportunistic, omnivorous scavengers. However, a study by Danielle Johnson and Joel Freeman found that the stomach contents of half crabs contained plant plankton and algae with a complete absence of animal material. The half crab obtains its food both as a filter feeder (straining bits of plant material out of the water) and an opportunistic scavenger of plant material (eating larger bits of plant debris that it happens across).
Stomach contents are a somewhat unreliable source for determining a creature's diet. Analysis of a human's stomach contents after breakfast might indicate a diet of bacon and eggs or toast and jam while analysis of the same human's stomach contents after dinner might indicate a diet of pork chops, greens and potatoes. Analysis of a frog's stomach content during mayfly season might indicate a diet of mayflies while an analysis during midsummer might indicate a varied diet including insects, mice and worms.
Johnson and Freeman also studied the enzymes in the half crab's gut which confirmed that the half crab's diet is plant plankton and algae.
If goal behind your question is what can you feed captive half crabs. It should be fairly easy to cultivate plant plankton (phytoplankton), if you turn off the filter in an aquarium remove anything that cleans the tank and let it set in the sun for a few days -- when the water turns green and cloudy, you've got phytoplankton and the scum on the glass is algae. The problems are maintaining a reliable supply, phytoplankton can quickly overwhelm an aquarium - killing the phytoplankton and everything else and determining the proper amount to feed - too much and it will foul your tank, too little and your crabs will starve.
The large claws are not used in feeding.
Johnson, D., Freeman J. Dietary Preference and Digestive Enzyme Activities as Indicators of Trophic Resource Utilization by Six Species of Crab. Biology Bulletin 208:36-46 ( 2005) Marine Biological Laboratory.
Low tide zones at the rocky shore. etc. food - smaller P.elongatus, etc
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The niche is blank.
