What the heck is this critter??? ID please?

[horwitzs]

I'm sure I caught him eating one of my turbo snails... What an SOB!
He always keeps his tail curled under but it definately has a shrimp/lobster shape to it. His head is broad and flat with eyes very far apart.
(Is it just me or does he kinda look like that octopus face guy from the pirates movies?)


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/563/173662mystery_critter.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/563/173662mystery_critter_2.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/563/173662mystery_critter_3.JPG

[demonsp]

http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r133/demonsperm/?action=view&current=mantis.flv

[DylanE]

Im not sure what it is, but it isnt a mantis

[chevo69]

Nice vid!

[bertoni]

That looks like a lobster or a fairly close relative to me.

[jackets22]

yep mantis

[horwitzs]

I had two mantis hitchhikers to get rid of already, this is definately not a mantis. He doesn't hide in rock or burrow, doesn't move like them either.
If I had a better shot of his head you would agree.
And a cuttlefish has a body more like a squid and swims, this guy has legs under him to walk on...
I have a few more pics, lemme see if one might help...

[demonsp]

Pistol shrimp maybe. My first thought was and still is a cuddle fish.

[demonsp]

Pistol shrimp maybe. My first thought was and still is a cuddle fish.

[demonsp]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://image03.webshots.com/3/1/41/92/21814192kJPUNosIGS_fs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1021814192027375118kJPUNosIGS&h=768&w=1024&sz=119&hl=en&start=16&um=1&tbnid=3r_8XHQLnJfLfM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcuddle%2Bfish%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ADBF_enUS243US243%26sa%3DN

[cilyjr]

slipper lobster

http://z.about.com/d/saltaquarium/1/0/l/1/ulupapa_350.JPG

[jackets22]

But a tail like a lobster doesnt sound cuttlefish ish to me.

[horwitzs]

He looks like a little lobster but without any claws that I can see. And his head isn't rounded over the top like a lobster or shrimp. And his eyes aren't really on stalks either.
Here are some slightly different angles...

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/563/173662mc.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/563/173662mc3.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/563/173662mc2.JPG

[horwitzs]

I also have a pistol shrimp already and can rule that out. This guy has no visible claws, unless he's hiding them under his body.

[cilyjr]

they can get big up to a foot...good species tank animal 'cuz it will eat fish, shrimp, clams, snails anything really

[horwitzs]

cilyjr, your comment seems most likely so far. Are you guessing or have you dealt with these before? Reef safe?
Everything I find about slipper lobsters says they are bigger than this. This guy is only 1 or 1.5 inches.
Still taking guesses!

[rlm2005]

I don't have a clue but you may want to post it in the invert forum as well. Nice pics BTW.

[cilyjr]

i wasn't 6 feet tall 30 years ago either. i am pretty sure it is a slipper lobster. Ron Shimek says not reef safe for..fish or inverts but won't bother coral. they can get real big and should be in large aquariums

[horwitzs]

Oops you beat me to it.
Hmm, well I guess I have to relocate this guy because I don't really want him eating everybody!

[cilyjr]

sell him ! somebody will want him

[wiscsaltwater]

http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/40/ad_30750n.jpg


That my friend is a Slipper Lobster

[cilyjr]

so my friend is this
http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/uploads/slipper_220205_sbsmm3.jpg

and this
http://chemistry.csudh.edu/faculty/jim/Cozapr07/spanish%20lobster.jpg

the one posted by wiscsaltwater is Arctides regalis the regal slipper)

the one i think you have is Parribacus antarcticus (the brown spotted slipper)

[PJsStuff]

looks like a crawdad lol

[styndall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12123667#post12123667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
Pistol shrimp maybe. My first thought was and still is a cuddle fish.

The correct name is 'cuttlefish,' and it's definitely not one. Nor is it a pistol shrimp.

Some sort of lobster is a good bet, and I'd go with the slipper lobster diagnosis unless you get a better ID.


EDIT: Where'd you get your live rock?

[fishkid6692]

it's def. not a cuttlefish.

[horwitzs]

Slipper lobster it is!
Since I've already caught him snacking on my cleanup crew he has been relocated for now to my fuge.
My fuge is small though and overflows into my DT so there's a small chance he could get back in, and he could never live there as he starts getting bigger.
And I feel bad leaving him in there all alone, I'll keep him fed with some meaty stuff but I suppose I need to find a new home for him.

[wiscsaltwater]

cilyjr is right its a slipper lobster, the one i posted was just for your reference.

[horwitzs]

to answer you, styndall- this was one of the extras included with a TBS rock package. Got lots of cool stuff (another post to come in a few days), but I'm surprised he'd send this with my cleanup crew if he'd eat them!
Richard @ TBS was great btw, I'd recommend him to anyone.

[styndall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12124175#post12124175 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by horwitzs
to answer you, styndall- this was one of the extras included with a TBS rock package. Got lots of cool stuff (another post to come in a few days), but I'm surprised he'd send this with my cleanup crew if he'd eat them!
Richard @ TBS was great btw, I'd recommend him to anyone.

That's good to hear. I'm planning on setting up a large tank in the next six months, and I'm thinking hard about using TBS. It's neat that they included such an interesting (if not exactly safe) critter. I like the diversity, even if it presents some danger.

[horwitzs]

Just be ready to spend some time getting bad crabs and possibly some mantis shrimp out of your rock.

I'll post this weekend with pics of all the cool stuff he sent me.