Funky looking crab

[ga_daisy]

For quite a while now, I've had a hitch hiker crab living in the upper right side of my rock work. I had never seen his body, only one claw....which I must say I've noticed get larger and larger over the last months. Leading into last night......

Whoah! I saw him on a rock. Apparently he doesn't care for being out in the "day light" because he was still in a very shaded area. He was a little further away from what is his usual haven. He's big. (and the crowd asks.....so how big is he.....) He's so big......(drum roll).....you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark ally.

Here is my question. WTF is he. I was in such AWE I did't grab the cell phone and make pics, so best I can do is describe him.

His legs were striped like a sally light foot, but in comparison to his body were too short to be a sally.

His body is hard and shiny looking. Black or very dark brown in color and shaped similar to an emerald crab, minus the bumpiness (is bumpiness a word?) I didn't see any fuzzy looking stuff on him. I've not seen him be aggressive towards fish.....he has a HUGE claw (not sure if he only has one or two). He mills around in the shadows picking stuff off of the rocks, never coming out into plain, full view.

When I first set up the tank, I put a couple of emeralds in there, but haven't seen them since. Could he be one of them? He doesn't appear green or alien looking as an emerald crab but has the same exact body shell shape.

Thoughts?

I know everyone is gonna scream PICTURE (just as I would).....but I'm not sure he will ever be out and about where I could get a decent picture of him to be honest.

 

[brianjfinn]

If he's not one of the emeralds, he may have eaten them...

I had the same situation in my tank a couple years ago. I started noticing the sand in front of one rock would be moved every couple days. Then I started seeing shells that had been molted. Then it happened: my six-line wrasse disappeared. That's when I started hunting with a flash light and saw two beady little crab eyes peering out at me from under the rock. He had one claw bigger than the other, and was the nastiest creature I've ever had in my tanks. Sounds like about the same color as the one you're describing too. Good luck!

 

[jennm]

Doesn't matter what kind he is, I'd get him out of there before he starts dining on your fish.

Jenn

 

[ga_daisy]

Ughhhh not what I was wanting to hear guys. He is so crazy cool and HUGE. Any thoughts as to how to catch him since he is never down on the sandbed and never really comes completely out? Any thoughts on what the heck to do with him once I catch him?

 

[jennm]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

Get a tall glass, and bait it with something nice and stinky, like frozen krill, clam or similar. Do this at night when the fish are "gone to bed" or they will steal the bait (they might do anyway). Place the glass upright as possible but with the rim leaned up against the rock where he lives. The bait should tempt him to drop into the glass to eat the bait, and he isn't clever enough to think about how he will get out of the glass when he's done.

The next morning, you will likely find him in the bottom of the glass, then you can do with as you please - sump it, or whatever.

Crabs can't swim so as long as the glass is deep enough that he can't climb back out of it, and not leaning so as to provide him a "ramp" out, you should be able to trap him easily enough that way.

I did it once in my 55 years ago, to catch a crab I spotted one day - the next morning there were 2 in there! One I didn't even know about. I sumped them where they lived "happily every after" and my fish weren't turning up with shredded fins anymore.

Jenn

 

[brianjfinn]

That's a good idea! You could also tie a piece of meaty food to a string and lure him out at night. I can't remember whose idea that was, might have been dawgdude, Rit, or one of the Johns (sorry guys!). But he should latch on enough to either get him in a net or a bag, or something. Sumping him isn't a bad idea, I'm not sure what else you really could do...

 

[ga_daisy]

I've not noticed any nipped fins.

Could this crab be a non-fish eater? Is there a such thing?

 

[jennm]

All crabs are opportunists. The bigger the crab, the bigger the appetite. Not worth the risk of leaving it in there, IMO.

Jenn

 

[ga_daisy]

:sad:Ho hummmm

Ok