I.D. this crab

[Bosco83]

Edit: I meant please I.D. this crab lol

I found this little crab dead in my tank today does anyone know what he is?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[mercedes]

Squish the shell. If guts don't come out that means you only got the crab's molted shell. It might be a Xanthidae Crab. Check out http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchcrabs.html for more leads. We caught one just like yours and banished him to our 'fuge.

 

[Bosco83]

I threw it away but I bet your right it probably just molted huh lol. I didn't really know why he would just die all when everything else is ok. I did find another one like him that I put in my sump because he was eating my sponges.

Brian

 

[Herefishyfishy]

That one looks intact enough to be a whole crab in lieu of just a molt.

 

[chadmace]

I dont know Mike, looks like the legs are hollow from the pic which would lead you to believe it is a molt. I had some pretty convincing molts before i decided to nuke my rock.

 

[Bosco83]

Thanks for the link Mercedes I think your right. I don't really know how to get them out but I don't see anything that they are bothering in the tank. I found one like it before but it was in small rock so just put the whole rock in my sump.

Brian

 

[Haji4]

I would like to know as well because I have 2 of them and I cant catch them. They chip away at the live rock and I have piles of rubble. They are destructive.