Yet another crab ID... oh boy!

[QuAcKeR]

I chiseled open some some LR today and out pops a little crab, about the size of a quarter. He is brown with dark bands around his legs... can't seem to find a pic online to match him. I'm running a 10g nano w/ no sump so he either goes in the main tank or, um, somewhere else.

Hoping he's okay to keep... he's been in there since July with no apparent damage to corals... but just trying to play it safe. He's very shy and currently quarrantined in a small bucket.

He promised he wouldn't hurt anything, but I told him he'd still need to stay in the bucket until I got a second opinion. He has a very honest face if you ask me!!

[MontanaRocknReefer]

I have no idea what type of crab this is but here is some info to think about! Maybe someone else can identify it!


Quote from web page:

There are many, many crabs that inhabit live rock and are often a real frustrating problem for those that own them. Identifying them is even more problematic due to the sheer numbers of species of crabs found on the reef. There are many species which would cause damage in our tanks, and many more that aren't even described yet. If one were to guess on the species, Family Xanthidae and Family Majidae would probably be the strongest possibilities due to their commoness. It is probably a good idea to remove (if possible) any unidentified crabs before the can become a nuisance. However, think carefully before you decide on a course of action. Diversity is something most desired in reef aquaria, and it would be better leave the crab until there is evidence that it is doing damage. If the crab has been in your tank for a long time and you have no mysteriously damaged corals/missing fish, chances are that the crab is harmless. Innocent until proven guilty...

[squid]

The best way to tell if it's an ok critter is look at the pinchers. If the pinchers close like a pair of siccors, (closed all the way with no gap) he's a bad boy. If his pinchers have flat ends, like a forceipt (?) (kinda like () ) then he's a goodie.

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hey Lise thanks for the tip on the crabs! Makes good sense!

[cyberchef]

Yeah but just remember that all crabs are opportunistic... They will take whatever they can get a hold of if given the chance. I've personally seen a red factor Mythrix (emerald crab, algae eaters) crab grab a CBB that got too close to it.

[Demogarr]

Looks like a tick!

[QuAcKeR]

Ha! That's what a friend of mine said... I chiseled the rock outside and thought it was a spider at first.

I dropped him back into the tank and he quickly found a hiding place... I think he's safe based on really close inspection and Lise's suggestion.

[thefatman]

i have video on my other site showing my emerald attacking, and subsequently devouring a spotted porcelain crab