ID This Crab!

[Ehgemus]

After trying and trying I finley cought him!:celeb2: so what kind is it? He's been eating my snails, I tryed to catch him at lest 6 times, well today I cought him with his back turned, and he could not get back to his home. :lol: http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/100832MVC-026F__Custom_.JPG

[Snowboarder2757]

I cant say for sure, but from reading some posts last month, it looks a lot like the crab another member had that was ID as a Gorilla Crab. If it is that then I would remove it or at least put it in your sump. But like I said I'm not sure about it.

[Ehgemus]

He is in his own little tank right now, 3.5 Gallon

[Snowboarder2757]

that will be good for now until someone can fully ID him for you. Is anything else in the 3.5?

[Ehgemus]

Is anything else in the 3.5? no just rock with no holes he can get into.

[aquawolf]

He definitely looks like a mean little crab with attitude. I would either banish him to the sump or take him to the LFS and get rid of him. If he has already been eating your snails then no sense in continuing to give him free meals in your tank.

[Amphiprion]

It is a lovely little crab. Not really. They will dine upon any snails, hermit crabs, and fish they can catch. Many folks call them gorilla crabs.

[Ehgemus]

I have been looking a pictures of what people are calling gorilla crabs and all of them are furry and mine is not, don't know if that makes any difference.

[ERICinFL]

It doesn't appear to be "hairy" enough to be a Gorilla Crab, but it's obvious he's a carnivore (seeing as how he's eating your snails). I agree with the above post, take him to your LFS or, you could give him to someone with a Mantis Shrimp. I'm sure the Mantis would enjoy the meal. :)

[Ehgemus]

Thanks for the info. I don't know what i will do with him but he will not eat anything else of mine.

[REEFKEEPA]

I would like to squash the "HAIRY" crab theory once and for all.
Most crabs are opportunistic omnivores that will eat whatever they can catch. The Atlantic Blue Crab has no "hair" and will quickly devour anything it can get it's claws into. It will attempt to eat plastic if given the opportunity.
I have my doubts about large hermits too.
Use your own judgement.

[REEFKEEPA]

He's some kind of rock crab, there are thousands of species.
I would crush him and keep a close eye on the tank at night.
I hate crabs. I have seen them take sleeping fish.
Very upsetting! considering that they are hitchhikers and you hav e to pay for your fish. KILL HIM!

[rochestertank]

i have heard a good word of advice is whenever they have big claws (like that one) they are definitely not "good."

[REEFKEEPA]

Not many are GOOD for a tank. Unless you keep them well fed with your livestock!

[bertoni]

Looks like a xanthid crab. Can you get a picture from the top showing the outline of the body? This article might help:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rs/index.php

[Herbie]

Does it have EVIL red eyes ??? I have one that looks exactly like that in my 37 Gallon. Mine has red eyes! It is truly an evil, mean looking crab! Mine has not bothered anything yet, and I havent been able to catch him yet. I dont have any snails or hermits either though. I dont think it would be stupid enough to eat a toxic Sea Hare........but who knows. It has huge claws for its size. Now its only about as big as a quarter. It looks like a brown Mithrax crab on Steroids!
I have not been able to ID the one I have, but it is NOT hairy like a gorilla crab. Hopefully someone will know what this is and I.D. it for us.

Later.............Herbie

[REEFKEEPA]

Herbie,
It is waiting for you to feed it.
Get yourself a clown trigger and see how friendly your red eyed friend is.

[REEFKEEPA]

Yes he is EVIL!

[Ehgemus]

yes he has red eyes, I will try to post more pictures. thanks for all the feedback!

[TOURKID]

any good suggestions on catching a crab? the tricky part is... i have 2. 2 diff spicies. and... the caves they live in are on the substrate floor.. so 'leaning a glass with food' isent going to work. both caves have 2 entrances. (these arent man made caves either!!

ive been trying to get em every so often. heres a thread i started awhile back

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=811681

pics near the bottom :)

[Ehgemus]

I tried all different way to catch him, but he would never come out of his hole, he would just sit in his hole and when a snail crossed over the hole he would grab him. finely I took the rock out and put it in the sump. than moved it to a 3.5 gallon tank. one day I picked up the rock and there he was.

[TOURKID]

oh your lucky :) My rocks are at the very very bottom of ALL the other rocks lol

Im thinking more cretive like cuting the feet out of a bunch of stockings and wraping them around each side of the rock with mysis on the stockings... or.... I donno. I can get em out long enough to grab food at the opening of the cave, but they are fast!

[Ehgemus]

You could take a ice-pick and start stabbing the hole:uzi: than take a power head and blow out the body parts.

[TOURKID]

hmmm... would work i suppose. they would hafta be caught doing somthing for that lol

[Herbie]

Dang It !
This thread reminded me to keep an eye on my evil red eyed crab. I saw him making his way all around the tank last night! I have never seen him out of his hole up until now. I hope this doesnt mean he is looking for a free meal.
I did notice that mine only has 1 claw arm. But the claw is pretty big compared to the rest of his body. I fiqure he cant be to much of a threat yet until his other claw grows back. So I better turn my attention to removing him before its to late. Presently, everything in the tank is o.k. .....nothing missing yet. I will try the food in the bottom of the glass trick......but I think he would be too smart to fall for this ???
Anybody want to buy a crab ???
Later.........Herbie

[REEFKEEPA]

Try whatever you can. Get him out and crush him.