Identification Question.

[sdellin]

Okay, so I found a black crab in my tank. I can't get a good pic, but here's a pic of the claws, he stuck them out when I shined a light on him (there's a regal tang in the rocks behind it). Anyway, it's smooth, not fuzzy, it looks black or very dark brown and has white or yellow bands around the knuckles. Any ideas? I can't find any pics like it on the internet but I want to figure out if he's the culprit, I'm missing a small fish (third one in about six months)

 

[wrightme43]

Well there is this guy called Witfull, he says all crabs are evil. LOL
I kinda agree, I have gotten rid of all of mine except the acro crabs.
Do you think it could be the anemone?

 

[The Apprentice]

Sharon I have seen my Emerald Crabs Turn Black before. Its hard to tell but I do think that my be what you have. I do supect it to be from the Minthrax species. Look at it legs and IF they are Hairy It may be. Remember Like Steve said don't trust them. Key word "Omnivore"

 

[sdellin]

I don't know about an anemone. It doesn't look like one. I did get to see him close up, but couldn't get a good pic.

It does have hairy back legs and I found a couple emerald crab pics on the internet that were pretty dark, so maybe that's what he is. I do remember seeing lighter colored bands around his knuckles, though. I think they were white or yellow. I'm going to get another pic, a better one, if I have to stay up all night every night for a week!

I'm intrigued by this little guy, can you tell. I did feed him frozen shrimp, so that if he is not hungry, my fish may stay safe.

Not many choices of crab traps online, any ideas on how to trap him?

 

[MarineTeng]

ya i saw my emerald rip a snail out of his shell the other day, it was a fierce battle with some blue legs to get to the snail pulled them off one by one, i still like them though since they seem to be the only thing reducing my algae that nothing else eats slowly, not to mention the large amount of bubble algae i have (though it's a lot less then it used to be)

 

[sdellin]

I read the emeralds eat bubble algae. I don't have any now, fortunately, but who knows, that may be why I don't have it.

 

[MarineTeng]

ya they do, they'll pop the bigger ones and it'll spread into alot of smaller ones, but they'll eat them all eventually

 

[sdellin]

I read you should not pop them, I guess now I know why.
I just found a cone snail with a nice little tuft of hair algae growing straight up from his shell.

I will post if I can get a better pic of the crab tonight, but I think he's po'd at me, he's hiding now.