Can Anyone Identify This?

[maidenfan]

had this crab for while came in L R first thime i've caught him on camera any idea's

 

[smithrc]

wow - nice freebie - dont know what it is though...

 

[steelhealr]

The two most common crab hitchhikers are porcelain crabs and a gorilla crab. The latter I would pull from my tank if you can I.D. it. SH

 

[maidenfan]

hi after seaching the web the only pic of a gorrilla crab i've found is as follows not much like the one iv'e got so still searching
i have a couple more crabs which when i get pics will post they look more like this than the orange one
but more mottled brown.

any help would be great cheers

 

[Aquascaper]

Trying searching the web for Acropora crabs (Coral crabs)

They are similar in size to porcelain crabs and are a common hitchhiker where Acropora corals are kept in the same tank as other corals. They move around the tank and get sold hiding on a piece of coral but unfortunately they are symbiotic with the Acropora and usually won't survive without one.

Don't know if that is one but it might narrow the search. How big is the crab?

 

[maidenfan]

hard to tell aqua m8 but would say about 15mm across from one set of legs to another he shed his shell the other week thought he was dead should have taken the shell somewhere but binned it bah thanks for info anyway

 

[maidenfan]

latest pic of my crab

 

[crazyelece]

It looks a lot like an emerald crab just the wrong color. If you can search the family you may be able to find something. Sorry I can't be of more help, I have never even heard of anything like it.

 

[steelhealr]

looks like a gorilla crab. ouch. SH

 

[bunjiweb]

Doesnt look like a gorilla crab to me, the pictures I have seen of them are quite different.

Can't find ANYTHING similar in any of my books or on the net, very mysterious!

If you don't know what it is you are generally advised to remove it as rogue crabs can be dangerous.

If you want to keep it then you could try making a small eco system for it out of a goldfish bowl, air pump/stone and a little bit of live-rock, then just fill it up with water from your main tank, but it may well starve if you don't know what it is and what to feed it.

Its often the case that weird shrimps or crabs will only emerge when they have run out of food in the space they were occupying in your tank, whether its sponge or coral or copeopods/amphipods.

Ben

 

[smithrc]

If I found him in my new tank - it'd become his tank...

I personally would keep it and keep an eye on it - but then I have nothing else in my tank that it could kill and eat so nothing to risk...

safer option would be to take it to a store and see if they would give credit.

 

[demonmagus]

well, if it isn't doing damage it may be alright to leave it, but you should find out what it is first before lol

 

[Locke]

Yeah, it really does look like an emerald crab, just not the right color. I'm not really sure on the matter, but I say that if it's not doing any harm... ID first then leave it if it's ok.

SB

 

[maidenfan]

still no closer to getting an ID on my friend went to my LFS where iget all my stuff and where i had my LR from and we searched all there books etc anyway the closest we got was a coral crab or some type of hairy crab they said they have seen them before and have had them in there own tanks without much trouble caused so going keep my eye on him and see how it goes. ive been told to try and get a look at its pincers if they are serrated its prob a predator if smooth and pointed or flat its prob an algea eater

thanks for all your replies so far

 

[steelhealr]

Am I losing it? Check out the 2 pix:

1) eye spacing near exact
2) hairy arms on both
3) darkly colored claws on both
4) head shape similar

The only thing different is the color and if it was a hitchhiker and immature, that might not be what to rest your hat on. FWIW, I'd pull it. Doesn't look friendly to me. SH