What the duece?

[MCary]

Last night I was changing light bulbs on the tank and when I turned the light back on, I saw this guy...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b223/mwcary/DSCF0560.jpg

He's big. About the size of a half dollar. I have no idea how he got there or what he is.

Two possible theories.

1. I put 4 emerald crabs in the tank when it was set up. Then I moved twice. I didn't think any had survived the move. So it could be an emerald that somehow changed colors when it got big and then somehow managed to hitchhike along with the liverock from move to move.

2. I bought 90 additional pounds of pr-cured show size LR from Foster & Smith when I set the tank back up. The tank is 3 months old. It may have hitchhiked in with that batch. The rocks are pretty big but you'd think I would have seen him.

Any ideas what he is and how he got there?

Mike

[socalreefer73]

sound slike he hitch hiked...

[sir_dudeguy]

yep, if you didnt specifically put him there, he had to of hitch hiked on something...rock is my guess..i got about 10 dif. hitch hikers on my rock..that i know of so far lol..i'm always finding new ones

hth
mike

[MCary]

I'm sure he hitchhiked. No doubt. But from the rocks I moved or the rocks I ordered that's the question. Heavy claws with fuzzy back legs. I think it must be a mithax crab. I hope. Seems to be picking off the rocks and hasn't eaten any fish or corals.

Mike

[socalreefer73]

It's hard to say which batch he came from... My guess would be the last batch because you didn't see it until the last addition. But there really is no way to tell...

[masterqaz]

Ya thats a Mithrax crab. There quite a few different types of them also they can come in different colours. The standard emerald crab is the colour of the algea that they eat. Ive seen them bright orange, green, pink (Possibly a faded orange). Anyways that is no standard emerald crab, Not sure the name of him but he'll get 4-5'' Across and can be a possible threat to some of your fish.