Crab ID

watson_barrett · 01/14/2008, 10:46 PM

Can you ID this crab, i think he slowly killed two of my starfish. This is the exoskeleton he left behind last week...

watson_barrett · 01/14/2008, 10:47 PM

I ripped one of his arms off a few weeks ago with plyers trying to pull a quick grab of him, he just shedded the arm and probably laughed at me.

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 07:59 AM

Little more on this guy, he has almost zebra like legs, they are black and white striped and he has extreemly strong claws, he dug a hole out of a few rock and hangs out in them during the day and rarely comes out entirely into the light. At night he can been seen grazing on the coraline algae....

Anyone?

kar93 · 01/15/2008, 09:25 AM

Could me a Mithrax but is hard to ID without a better pic

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 02:34 PM

I will try posting a few more pics this evening but I thought this was the best looking pic....

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 02:35 PM

This guy is SUPER MEAN and NASTY powerful though, he ripped holes right through a few of my rocks with his claws. claws and legs look like briar bushes....

Beach Native · 01/15/2008, 02:44 PM

Do yourself a favor, kill it now...

Twisted · 01/15/2008, 02:44 PM

Emerald Mithrax would have flat tips on his claws, so I doubt it is a mithrax if it tore into a rock.

Most likely a plain old bad crab that hitchhiked in on some rock. If it can tear through rock, you certainly don't want it in a reef tank.

I would rip it's other claw off and laugh back at it. Take it to a local fish store and put it in with a big fish, or eel, especially an octopus, or a mantis shrimp if they have one.

sabazerehi · 01/15/2008, 03:06 PM

looks like the one i'm trying to catch in my tank, lfs told me rock crab i also found something online saying they're called gorilla crabs, you can check those out and see if they match.

Troy the Nomad · 01/15/2008, 03:08 PM

I say skewer him if you know where he stays.

kar93 · 01/15/2008, 04:13 PM

I am begining to think gorilla crab. BAD

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 09:57 PM

gorilla crab definately a possibility. I havn't seen him since he shed his shell, he went into hiding after i ripped his arm off, i'm sure he'll reappear eventually and i'll be getting his other claw, I hate this mean creature...I'll try to find a few more pics, the shedded shell is a little lighter in color than it is normally...

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 09:59 PM

regardless i did a search on gorilla crab and found this general rule: "If the claws are large and pointed, it's most likely a predator. If the claws are smaller and have blunt tips, then it's usually a herbivore and reef safe." This guy had identical claws to the predator nature.

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 10:02 PM

here is a good photo of the shell under antics i took a few weeks back...

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 10:03 PM

and it's starfish eating predator claw

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 10:04 PM

Note the right claw that i ripped off [RIH]

nismo driver · 01/15/2008, 10:09 PM

note the still far less then helpful lack of quality of these pics..

seriously hows anyone to help when the lighting is terrible and all we see is a blur that remotely resembles a crab

try a white background with ample lighting and use teh macro setting of the camera and dont over zoom, then befoer posting look at the picture and make sure its in focus

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 10:27 PM

Well if you can't see it has an obvious preditor claw then i think you may need new eyes but yet I know they are blury and I would take better pics on white ledger paper in hindsight. but the shell is long gone in the trash...this is all I have.

Quote:

Originally posted by nismo driver
note the still far less then helpful lack of quality of these pics..

seriously hows anyone to help when the lighting is terrible and all we see is a blur that remotely resembles a crab

try a white background with ample lighting and use teh macro setting of the camera and dont over zoom, then befoer posting look at the picture and make sure its in focus

livingcorals · 01/15/2008, 10:28 PM

If its doing more harm than good...Bring it in to the LFS or toss it. Why take a chance.
It does look like a gorilla crab tho.

watson_barrett · 01/15/2008, 10:29 PM

Additionally the 1st pic is pretty good with the crap equip i'm working with...

Aquarist007 · 01/15/2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by livingcorals
If its doing more harm than good...Bring it in to the LFS or toss it. Why take a chance.
It does look like a gorilla crab tho.

I don't think the poster is listening guys

StunnaShadez · 01/15/2008, 11:16 PM

does it look like this guys? i took this picture from Devtech's thread:

watson_barrett · 01/16/2008, 10:20 AM

I'll take a look this evening, i can't see the pic on the server i'm on.

Also, i'm definately listening have have learned some great info on predatory vs. reef safe crabs. This guy is definately getting the boot next time he reappears in the tank. I was just wondering what he was so I could do some additional research on him. If i catch him he is going in w/ the 3 foot baricuda at the LFS : )

thor32766 · 01/16/2008, 11:13 AM

looks like a type of gorrilla crab.

01/14/2008, 10:46 PM	#1
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	Crab ID Can you ID this crab, i think he slowly killed two of my starfish. This is the exoskeleton he left behind last week...

01/15/2008, 02:44 PM	#7
Beach Native Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: RB Posts: 517	Do yourself a favor, kill it now... __________________ but is a sin to make to die corals for superficialitie of who leads the bathtub. Current Tank Info: 150G LeeMar Starphire

01/15/2008, 03:08 PM	#10
Troy the Nomad Laissez LeBonTempsRouler! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Slidell, LA Posts: 197	I say skewer him if you know where he stays. __________________ A heroin addiction would of been cheaper... Current Tank Info: 55g reef, lps, softies and some sps. 24g JBJ reef, letting the RBTA's take over

01/16/2008, 11:13 AM	#24
thor32766 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chuluota, FL Posts: 6,072	looks like a type of gorrilla crab. __________________ "Live your life so no one has to lie about who you were at your funeral" click on my red house to see my tang compound! Current Tank Info: 29 gallon in Wall!

01/14/2008, 10:47 PM	#2
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	I ripped one of his arms off a few weeks ago with plyers trying to pull a quick grab of him, he just shedded the arm and probably laughed at me.

01/15/2008, 07:59 AM	#3
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	Little more on this guy, he has almost zebra like legs, they are black and white striped and he has extreemly strong claws, he dug a hole out of a few rock and hangs out in them during the day and rarely comes out entirely into the light. At night he can been seen grazing on the coraline algae.... Anyone?

01/15/2008, 09:25 AM	#4
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	Could me a Mithrax but is hard to ID without a better pic

01/15/2008, 02:34 PM	#5
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	I will try posting a few more pics this evening but I thought this was the best looking pic....

01/15/2008, 02:35 PM	#6
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	This guy is SUPER MEAN and NASTY powerful though, he ripped holes right through a few of my rocks with his claws. claws and legs look like briar bushes....

01/15/2008, 02:44 PM	#8
Twisted Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Redding, CA Posts: 1,221	Emerald Mithrax would have flat tips on his claws, so I doubt it is a mithrax if it tore into a rock. Most likely a plain old bad crab that hitchhiked in on some rock. If it can tear through rock, you certainly don't want it in a reef tank. I would rip it's other claw off and laugh back at it. Take it to a local fish store and put it in with a big fish, or eel, especially an octopus, or a mantis shrimp if they have one.

01/15/2008, 03:06 PM	#9
sabazerehi Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Los Angeles, 90049 Posts: 2,491	looks like the one i'm trying to catch in my tank, lfs told me rock crab i also found something online saying they're called gorilla crabs, you can check those out and see if they match.

01/15/2008, 04:13 PM	#11
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	I am begining to think gorilla crab. BAD

01/15/2008, 09:57 PM	#12
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	gorilla crab definately a possibility. I havn't seen him since he shed his shell, he went into hiding after i ripped his arm off, i'm sure he'll reappear eventually and i'll be getting his other claw, I hate this mean creature...I'll try to find a few more pics, the shedded shell is a little lighter in color than it is normally...

01/15/2008, 09:59 PM	#13
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	regardless i did a search on gorilla crab and found this general rule: "If the claws are large and pointed, it's most likely a predator. If the claws are smaller and have blunt tips, then it's usually a herbivore and reef safe." This guy had identical claws to the predator nature.

01/15/2008, 10:02 PM	#14
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	here is a good photo of the shell under antics i took a few weeks back...

01/15/2008, 10:03 PM	#15
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	and it's starfish eating predator claw

01/15/2008, 10:04 PM	#16
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	Note the right claw that i ripped off [RIH]

01/15/2008, 10:09 PM	#17
nismo driver Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: dirty jersey Posts: 396	note the still far less then helpful lack of quality of these pics.. seriously hows anyone to help when the lighting is terrible and all we see is a blur that remotely resembles a crab try a white background with ample lighting and use teh macro setting of the camera and dont over zoom, then befoer posting look at the picture and make sure its in focus

01/15/2008, 10:28 PM	#19
livingcorals Moved On Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,730	If its doing more harm than good...Bring it in to the LFS or toss it. Why take a chance. It does look like a gorilla crab tho.

01/15/2008, 10:29 PM	#20
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	Additionally the 1st pic is pretty good with the crap equip i'm working with...

01/15/2008, 11:16 PM	#22
StunnaShadez Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: sacramento Posts: 584	does it look like this guys? i took this picture from Devtech's thread:

01/16/2008, 10:20 AM	#23
watson_barrett Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waldorf, MD Posts: 283	I'll take a look this evening, i can't see the pic on the server i'm on. Also, i'm definately listening have have learned some great info on predatory vs. reef safe crabs. This guy is definately getting the boot next time he reappears in the tank. I was just wondering what he was so I could do some additional research on him. If i catch him he is going in w/ the 3 foot baricuda at the LFS : )