ID this crab?

[Nashon]

This crab came on some live rock from the keys. He's huge, almost a full inch across the shell. He hid for almost 2 months before we found him. Is he safe? I pulled him out and stuck him in a sump. Lots to eat there and no one he can bother.

 

[NaH2O]

I'm not a fan of hitchhiking crabs. I'll do some digging and see if I can come up with an ID, but crabs can be difficult to ID since there are so many different types. Keeping him in the sump is a good place for exactly the reason stated....he won't bother anyone.

How did you catch him?

 

[zeltar]

I'm no craboligist but I found this guy that might fit this one:
http://www.cdislands.com/photos_mexico/coz1/xco70313.jpg

They call it a "Hairy Clinging crab (juv.)". Here is a link to their crab page: http://www.cdislands.com/html/photos_subject/photos_animals_marine_crustaceans_crabs.htm
--Eric

 

[NaH2O]

My initial thought was a red mithrax crab, and I'm still stuck with that. The pincers are smooth, so I believe that means it is an algae eater. Regardless, I still think it belongs in the sump. I'll try and find a pic of the red mithrax crab and post up a link.

 

[Nashon]

I had tried to catch him with a net, an inverted bottle (Before I knew exactly how big he was) and with my barehands. One day I found him on an easy to remove rock so the whole thing came out. His pincers have round plates on the end to pinch together, there are no sharp bits on them either. A week before I discovered this one, I found his female partner. She was half his size and also had to be pulled out on a rock. While watching her in a cup I found she had a belly covered in eggs. I wasnt ready to start a crab farm so she had to visit the freezer.
Thank-you for the help! I went looking for pictures of crabs and never really found anything that matched this one.

 

[Elmo18]

Hi...I think i'm a bit late...

but for me, if the crab is HAIRY and HAS BLACK TIP CLAWS, i consider it unsafe. However, that one seems to have white tip ones.

Looks almost like a Mithrax species except with a different color carapace/exoskeleton.

I would say it is safe, but only my opinion. I will try get a specific ID soon.

- Elmo

 

[cdeakle]

I wasnt ready to start a crab farm so she had to visit the freezer.

I hope your joking allthough I'm pretty sure your not. You should have just put her in the sump along with her "boyfriend" or simply gave her away. I would have rather taken her off your hands instead of you freezing her.


Chances of the eggs hatching and the crabs reaching maturity are very slim to none. I had an emerald release thousands of eggs one night and not a single egg made it through. Just extra tasty snacks for my fish and inverts.....

I agree with Nikki, spitting immage of a red mithrax....

 

[Nashon]

I had some snails wind up dead near the entrance to a particular hole. After an hour of moving rock to reach the particular rock and getting it out of the tank I found the female crab in that hole. I figured she was the cause of the snail deaths. I found him a week afer. There are a few more crabs like the one shown above but they are fairly small. If they are safe then I have no problem letting them wander and will let the large one out of prison too.

 

[cdeakle]

If you decide they need to go I would be more than happy to take them off your hands, I have a nano waiting for me to get a mantis but that hasn't happened just yet so its pretty much empty. I can always throw some crabies in there and If I do get a mantis they can duke it out for survival of the fittest. At least its natural as opposed to the big blue freeze

 

[wrightme43]

Looks the same as mithraculus forceps (a close relitive of emerald crab) Look on page 149 of Julian Spungs Invertabrates book. Same claw structure, close in color and he says there are orange ones. I would release him from prison and be glad he is there. Worst case you have to take another rock out, but he should be fine. Supposedly it eats bubble algae as well. Mr Sprung says "reef safe, may eat small fishes, hardy, life span years." I hope that helps. Steve

 

[Witfull]

if it may eat small fish, it isnt reef safe! all crabs are oportunistic feeders and can take fish or inverts. even supposed algae eaters can cause damage as they root for food or turn to the dark side on any given day.

 

[MikeS]

I consider just about any hitchhiker crab I find as bad news....I've had too many mushrooms and other softies eaten by them....I remove them whenever I find them, no questions asked....

JMHO....

MikeS