Decorator Crab? Please say no!!!!

[theplantman]

Can someone tell me if this is a decorator or not? Its about the size of a dime across the shell, tiny claws and does not bother any of my corals.....yet.

It arrived two weeks ago and this is the first photo op i got.

>http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt17/theplantman/09-01-30-001.jpg</a>

>http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt17/theplantman/09-01-30-002.jpg</a>

>http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt17/theplantman/09-01-30-003.jpg</a>

 

[seedless reefer]

Doesn't look like any decorator crab I've seen.

Looks like it has hairy legs.

If it were a free decorator crab I would say lucky you.

I would probably catch him and put him in my fuge...he is a cool looking crab.

 

[seedless reefer]

Tiny tiny little claws he is way cool.

 

[theplantman]

i was thinking and hoping maybe some kind of fairy crab or squat lobster based on the long body. when viewed from the top down he has an elongated proboscis (horn) or some such thing extending beyond its head.

 

[theplantman]

oh and he was free, hitchiked along with a quarter sized tunicate on a fox coral I picked up

 

[seedless reefer]

I Wouldn't leave him in your display...unknown crabs always pose a risk.

If you have sump I would let him live his life there.

I would take him from you but you are way far from me.

 

[theplantman]

thanks, unfortunately no sump or fuge. just got the tank up and going and that is on the future hit list. For now it's regular water changes and a phosban reactor. I'm hoping to try and get an ID on the little guy before giving him up. it's pretty shy, eats the heck out of algae and detritus and "knock on wood" when he does visit the corals, does not pick or pull on them.

Also avoids the snails.

 

[linda lee]

I see you have a lot of 'shrooms. Wouldn't a decorator be snagging pieces of those for his wardrobe?

 

[theplantman]

Thats what I have been told and after two weeks he has not decorated himself with anything. Of course most all of the shrooms were the same size as him two weeks ago and now some of them are about 2"across. They grow fast!!!!

 

[kirru]

kinda looks like this guy. except yours is smaller. curious looking guy though.

 

[theplantman]

thats what i am hoping its not, thats a decorator and from what i'm told, not fun in a reef tank when they get that big. I saw that photo when I first found him in the tank and have been watching him like a hawk ever since. Tonight was first good chance to get a photo though.