crab id?

[greystreet41]

this sounds crazy, but I found it in a bag from a zoanthid rock I ordered about 3 weeks ago. I was taking out the trash from the fishroom and just happened to catch a glance...it seems alive and well. Just need a safe or not safe ID....crazy.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/greystreet41/crab.jpg

[fishdoc11]

My vote would be not safe but I really have no idea...he's hardy anyway:)

[c_stowers]

Not safe...notice the black tips on the pincher. I can't remember the name, but I know that black tips on the pincher=not reef safe.

[greystreet41]

I'd feel terrible trashing him after his plight. I wonder if I put him in Old Hickory Lake if he would survive and somehow alter the ecological balance of the universe.

[AIMFish]

Not safe for the main tank, a fun fuge dweller tho. Pointy claws like that are good for tearing into things you paid good money for ;)

[fishdoc11]

Good catfish bait maybe......

[c_stowers]

I believe it is a gorilla crab (if I recall correctly). You can always throw him in the sump or fuge and let him fend for himself in there.

[KAiNE]

It is not reef safe for sure. I had 12-15 from some LR. They grew fast and eat whatever they can get. I have video of one munching on a torch polyp i can dig up if youd like to see it. When i saw this I just started "spearing" every one i could find. I am happy to say that, to my knowlege, i am crab free today.
I actually moved all my not reef safe hitchhikers to a QT tank (before i started spearing) and those crabs ate all other crabs including some rather large "red eye" gorilla crabs.

[gflat65]

Sounds like you got a winner there, Casey;). Drop em in the sump, let him get big and feed him to a trigger;). Circle of life...