Mysterious Crab...

[1entra]

I went to the lfs today and bought a few bits and bobs. Well anyways I noticed a small frag of green zoanthids and asked the the guy how much he wanted for it. Well anyways he decided he would just throw it in for free.

Well after getting home and acclimatising the frag, I put my hand into the bag to pull it out... and I noticed it move!! I immediately dropped the frag back into the bag and had a good look at it and seen that it was in fact A CRAB with the zoa'z stuck to it's back. I found that very strange as Ive seen hermits with corals stuck to their shells but never a crab??!

Anyways I used a pair of tweezers to gently pull the polyps off the back of the crab and glued them to a piece of LR and put them in my tank. However I put the crab into my fuge as I do not know what it is and wether it is reef safe or not.

So can anybody help please... The crab is a sort of green/grey colour, legs are abit hairy, its only got 4 legs with another 4 stumps that I believe were either ripped off or are used to hole the coral on its back! It's pincers are pointed with white tips and its got quite a largeish mouth with beady black eyes. I tried to take a pic but it didnt come out to clear!

 

[BoneSnapper]

This is what you have, from the description you posted. http/www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/pr...oot_parent_id=4

 

[1entra]

Yea I think you could well be spot on. So do you think it is safe enough for me to introduce it into my main tank from the fuge then?

 

[Lynden]

Yes, I would put it into the tank. Besides being ultra awesome, these things do not eat corals, and can actually help spread them throughout your tank. Damage to existing colonies should be minimal. If on the rare condition that it sticks a hermit or snail to it's back, you will need to remove the trapped animal.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Thats... really cool!!!

So what DO they eat?

 

[nanocubeking]

The lfs has one and it is about the size of a hand.

 

[chrissaysyes]

I've seen some pretty neat stuff attached to decorator crabs They will snip little bits of your corals off and make a sort of coral collage on their backs, then drop off bits and pieces as they go, spreading the corals around. Theyre pretty great.

 

[1entra]

The lfs has one and it is about the size of a hand.

Do they really grow that big though?? The one Ive end up with is about half inch body diameter!

Iv added it back to the main tank now, they are very slow movers arnt they! gonna see how it gets on...

 

[SkiFletch]

Man, I've always wanted one of those things. They're so cool

 

[1entra]

Well anyways I woke up this morning to find the polyps I had took off the back of the crabs back and glued to a piece of LR had disapeared and are nowhere to be found, nor is the crab. Do you think it went around the tank and found them and put them back on it's back?

 

[SkiFletch]

Could be, they're crabs . Sometimes they just go hide for a day or two in the rocks

 

[chrissaysyes]

You know, he may not be hiding...you may just need to take a closer look

 

[1entra]

You know, he may not be hiding...you may just need to take a closer look

Lol trust me Ive had a good look for him but still not found any sign of either him or the small zoa colony!

By the way what does this little crab eat and how am I supposed to feed it if I cant find it? I hope its a scavenger like most crabs...

 

[Lynden]

Will eat fish food scraps most likely.