Live Rock hitch hiker

[concept3]

look what I found scampering around my tank last night. I made a "trident" out of a treble hook attached to a dowel and managed to pin him down against a rock. Looks like he'll be hanging out in a holding "pen" for a little while until I figure out what to do with the little bugger.

Anyone know what species this is? It's definitely not a vegetarian!

[TrojanScott]

I had one kinda like that for YEARS in my tank, but he had "fur." Looked like a hairy version of that crab. I never thought anything of it really. He had hole in a piece of rock high in the tank, near a bunch of yellow polyps. I fed my polyps brine shrimp, I think he ate leftovers. Only came out at night. I thought it was a neat bonus myself!

[concept3]

He looks like my emerald crabs, that's why I thought nothing of it, but if you look closely at his pincers, they aren't flat like the emerald or mithrax crab's. This guy is a meat-eat-arian! LOL!!! No wonder I lose most of my Green chromis!

[burkleman]

Neat looking crab, good idea with the holding pen. a friend of mine had an unknown white crab and it eventually ate out the center of his califlour coral. hope its nothing bad. good luck

[rockster2599]

Looks like a red eye crab, will happily munch through anything meaty it can get its claws on including snails, hermits and sleeping fish.
Rockster

[traip93]

THe red eyes, always a bad sign. Do you have a sump or something to toss it in?

[LISound]

Looks like an asian shore crab...
not a very nice crab...one of the meanist i know of for it's size.
What live rock did it come from and where.

these crabs are an empidemic in the northeast region and where brought here by mistake..the same way you got yours...they came over mixed with other shipments of live fish or crab to the markets.

they will attack and eat anything...espically fish eggs, which is way they are such a problem in the wild...
due a little research but i think that's what he is...
If so-DUE NOT LET HIM IN THE MAIN TANK. he will slowly destroy anything smaller and can kill fish 4x his size...

[burkleman]

Man it seems that other that hermit and emerald, crabs are just bad news.

[Ms. K]

My Mantis thinks he looks yummy...LOL!

[concept3]

I'm giving the little monster away to a friend who has a saltwater tank, no sps or softies. He does have a few damsels and a puffer. Oh well, I'd rather not know what he'll be doing with it.