RED......Emerald Crab?????

casingbill · 12/24/2006, 05:57 PM

I picked up an "emerald crab" at the lfs the other day and he's red?....Is this right? The guy that got him out of the tank even remarked.."why is he red?"

splateee · 12/24/2006, 06:37 PM

I have never heard of emerald crabs being red. Do you have a pic?

greenbean36191 · 12/24/2006, 06:39 PM

If it's red then it's not an "emerald" crab. There are other red species in the same genus though.

bertoni · 12/24/2006, 06:39 PM

Emerald crabs aren't red. There a crab called "red emerald" that might be Mithraforceps, if I remember the genus correctly. In any case, I wouldn't keep it in my tank.

casingbill · 12/24/2006, 06:39 PM

oh...heck no!!...ive only caught glimpses of him 2x since i put him in on wednesday....lol

he was the same similar size and shape as the green one but not 100% sure

casingbill · 12/24/2006, 06:43 PM

mithrax forceps....or red ridged clinging crab...that must be it

casingbill · 12/24/2006, 06:50 PM

ok...so i found this on wetwebmedia

"Crab ID please 9/29/03
Is a "red ridged clinging crab" reef and clam safe?
like the green cling/emerald crab Mithraculus sculptus... M. forceps, the red cling crab, is not entirely reef safe. Most all crabs are opportunistic omnivores. With abundant algae in the tank, they appear to behave... but in lean times, the will prey on desirable reef animals. Anthony"

so i am going to leave him in for the moment since i have no corals or anything

scrmbld33 · 12/24/2006, 06:57 PM

its probly a red mithrax as seen on tbsaltwaters id page number 43
http://www.tbsaltwater.com/thepackage/organisms.html

casingbill · 12/24/2006, 07:15 PM

thx all for the help

mfp4073 · 12/25/2006, 02:48 PM

I got a red one recently from my LFS too. I have not seen any behavior difference between the red and the green.

greenbean36191 · 12/25/2006, 08:55 PM

Most of the time when I've seen them diving, they're picking peacefully at algae and they hide when you get near, but some of the larger individuals (a few inches across) have even been aggressive toward me. I certainly wouldn't add one to my tank.

SgJsg35 · 12/25/2006, 10:32 PM

I picked up a hitchhiker on some rock it was shaped like an emerald but was striped red and white and its claws had black tips. Ever seen one,what is it???

bertoni · 12/25/2006, 11:44 PM

To Reef Central

Crabs are very hard to identify. Coloration often doesn't help all that much. A picture might help determine the basic group, though.

ACBlinky · 12/26/2006, 12:06 AM

I had a red mithrax that looked and behaved exactly like a green emerald... until he reached his fourth or fifth moult. Once he got big he was nothing but trouble -- he was very well fed (I spot fed him to try and keep him from bothering the corals or snails) but it didn't make a difference. About 48h after his last moult, he mowed down a patch of GSP, stalks of Xenia, and a few zoas within a matter of hours. Shortly thereafter I tore apart the tank to catch him and returned him to the LFS for credit. They couldn't believe how big he was, and how fast he'd grown. I made sure to tell them he was NOT reef safe, and later found that he'd gone to someone with a nice big FOWLR. I met the owner of the FOWLR a few months later and asked after the crab... turns out he bought a trigger without realizing they eat inverts, and that was the end of Hercules the crab! I admit I felt a certain justice had been served

Here's a pic of him when he was just a little guy. I'm convinced he had something to do with the snail's death and wasn't just cleaning up.

casingbill · 12/26/2006, 08:10 AM

well at this point, i almost never see him and i have no corals either. i am just going to watch for him and make sure he behaves himself.

casingbill · 12/26/2006, 06:08 PM

i found him....eating a "i'm pretty sure he was already dead" snail. I've had a couple of the black trochus die already

casingbill · 12/26/2006, 06:47 PM

I got a pic of him if anyone is interested....not great but a pic.

Chaotic Reefer4u · 12/26/2006, 07:07 PM

buyer beware...

gprdypoo04 · 03/31/2019, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrmbld33

its probly a red mithrax as seen on tbsaltwaters id page number 43
http://www.tbsaltwater.com/thepackage/organisms.html

That's right just from a different area where collected. No different than a green. I picked one up for my tank.

Uncle99 · 04/01/2019, 09:18 AM

Going to be trouble......even emeralds are Problematic.
As mentioned multiple times above, they will eat ANYTHING they can catch.
As long as you don't care about it eating stuff in your tank....then no problem....otherwise out,

cincyjim · 04/01/2019, 10:13 AM

I've had a Strawberry Crab for about 3 years and never had any issues with it. Luck of the draw I guess.

callsign4223 · 04/01/2019, 02:53 PM

13 years, that has to be a record for a necro thread.

12/24/2006, 05:57 PM	#1
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	RED......Emerald Crab????? I picked up an "emerald crab" at the lfs the other day and he's red?....Is this right? The guy that got him out of the tank even remarked.."why is he red?" __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/24/2006, 06:39 PM	#3
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	If it's red then it's not an "emerald" crab. There are other red species in the same genus though. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

12/24/2006, 06:39 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Emerald crabs aren't red. There a crab called "red emerald" that might be Mithraforceps, if I remember the genus correctly. In any case, I wouldn't keep it in my tank. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/24/2006, 06:39 PM	#5
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	oh...heck no!!...ive only caught glimpses of him 2x since i put him in on wednesday....lol he was the same similar size and shape as the green one but not 100% sure __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/24/2006, 06:43 PM	#6
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	mithrax forceps....or red ridged clinging crab...that must be it __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/24/2006, 06:37 PM	#2
splateee Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flower Mound, Texas Posts: 561	I have never heard of emerald crabs being red. Do you have a pic?

12/24/2006, 06:50 PM	#7
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	ok...so i found this on wetwebmedia "Crab ID please 9/29/03 Is a "red ridged clinging crab" reef and clam safe? like the green cling/emerald crab Mithraculus sculptus... M. forceps, the red cling crab, is not entirely reef safe. Most all crabs are opportunistic omnivores. With abundant algae in the tank, they appear to behave... but in lean times, the will prey on desirable reef animals. Anthony" so i am going to leave him in for the moment since i have no corals or anything __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/24/2006, 06:57 PM	#8
scrmbld33 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: south jersey 08050 Posts: 2,394	its probly a red mithrax as seen on tbsaltwaters id page number 43 http://www.tbsaltwater.com/thepackage/organisms.html __________________ a left over shrimp shedding is not "a sicilian message meaning luca brasi sleeps with the fishes" fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 90gal salt, 2 250mh 14k hamiltons 2 110 actinic, 127lbs LR,50lbs tonga 70lbs indonesia 7lbs tonga branch asm g3

12/24/2006, 07:15 PM	#9
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	thx all for the help __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/25/2006, 02:48 PM	#10
mfp4073 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 1,506	I got a red one recently from my LFS too. I have not seen any behavior difference between the red and the green. __________________ Bristle worms are evil and need to be eradicated, at night they creep out of the tank and charge internet porn to your credit cards....ask me how I know. Anyone else notice that anthelia smells like fresh cut water chestnuts? ....they call me chad Current Tank Info: 1 crashed 75 gal..it was really beautiful while it lasted.

12/25/2006, 08:55 PM	#11
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	Most of the time when I've seen them diving, they're picking peacefully at algae and they hide when you get near, but some of the larger individuals (a few inches across) have even been aggressive toward me. I certainly wouldn't add one to my tank. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

12/25/2006, 10:32 PM	#12
SgJsg35 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Steeler Country Posts: 218	I picked up a hitchhiker on some rock it was shaped like an emerald but was striped red and white and its claws had black tips. Ever seen one,what is it??? __________________ hadooun haqil khairun min sadiqin jaahil Current Tank Info: 50 gal.(50-60lbs LR) Eibl's Angelfish,Sixline Wrasse,Lunare Wrasse,Orchid Dottyback,Blacktail Dascyllus,Neon Goby,Banded Coral Shrimp,Emerald Crab,a few Snails & Hermits

12/25/2006, 11:44 PM	#13
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	*To Reef Central* Crabs are very hard to identify. Coloration often doesn't help all that much. A picture might help determine the basic group, though. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/26/2006, 12:06 AM	#14
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I had a red mithrax that looked and behaved exactly like a green emerald... until he reached his fourth or fifth moult. Once he got big he was nothing but trouble -- he was very well fed (I spot fed him to try and keep him from bothering the corals or snails) but it didn't make a difference. About 48h after his last moult, he mowed down a patch of GSP, stalks of Xenia, and a few zoas within a matter of hours. Shortly thereafter I tore apart the tank to catch him and returned him to the LFS for credit. They couldn't believe how big he was, and how fast he'd grown. I made sure to tell them he was NOT reef safe, and later found that he'd gone to someone with a nice big FOWLR. I met the owner of the FOWLR a few months later and asked after the crab... turns out he bought a trigger without realizing they eat inverts, and that was the end of Hercules the crab! I admit I felt a certain justice had been served Here's a pic of him when he was just a little guy. I'm convinced he had something to do with the snail's death and wasn't just cleaning up. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

12/26/2006, 08:10 AM	#15
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	well at this point, i almost never see him and i have no corals either. i am just going to watch for him and make sure he behaves himself. __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/26/2006, 06:08 PM	#16
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	i found him....eating a "i'm pretty sure he was already dead" snail. I've had a couple of the black trochus die already __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/26/2006, 06:47 PM	#17
casingbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stanfordville, NY Posts: 480	I got a pic of him if anyone is interested....not great but a pic. __________________ Opinions are like nipples on a man...we all have at least 2 and they're completely useless! Current Tank Info: AGA 90g reef in works,

12/26/2006, 07:07 PM	#18
Chaotic Reefer4u ♥Acropora Aficionado♥ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hollister,Ca. Posts: 5,163	buyer beware... __________________ Live everyday as if it was your last, take time to smell the flowers, enjoy all things living, never take anything for granted, you just never know when your number might be up... Current Tank Info: * 90g. Reef Ready TruVu tank with 30g. Platinum Filtration Series Sump SpS Acro enthusiast *

04/01/2019, 09:18 AM	#20
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Going to be trouble......even emeralds are Problematic. As mentioned multiple times above, they will eat ANYTHING they can catch. As long as you don't care about it eating stuff in your tank....then no problem....otherwise out,

04/01/2019, 10:13 AM	#21
cincyjim Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,147	I've had a Strawberry Crab for about 3 years and never had any issues with it. Luck of the draw I guess. __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: SCA 150G, 5 inch sand bed, 2 Tunze 6095s, ReefBreeders v2+ 50" with 2 all Blue Reefbrites, and Continuous Water Change System

04/01/2019, 02:53 PM	#22
callsign4223 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 348	13 years, that has to be a record for a necro thread.