Help Identify a Crab

[wbholwell]

I've got a crab in my nano reef that is steadily growing, and I'm worried he may become a pest. He came with the live rock and the first time I noticed him was about 3 months after I set up the tank. He was smaller than my pinky nail then, and now, about 10 months later, he is about 1 inch leg tip to leg tip. I haven't been able to take a picture yet (he's nocturnal) but I'll keep trying. Physically he looks very similar to an Emerald Mithrix crab, but his coloration is different. His legs are striped white/brown and his claws are brown at the tips fading to white. Any ideas?

 

[burdundi]

Melev has a great ID page:

 

[wbholwell]

Thanks- I think it may be a <span style="font-family: Arial;">Black Fingered Mud crab</span>

 

[wbholwell]

I just caught it and moved it to my 72 gal. I took a pic- what do you think- Mud crab?

<img src=http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h56/wbholwell/Tank%20Pics/crab.jpg>

 

[wbholwell]

one more try...

 

[wbholwell]

this isn't easy
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[gwen_o_lyn]

Looks cute to me.

If you've had him for 10 months and he hasn't destroyed anything, then why not keep him??

 

[vettesarebest]

Gwen your always defending your lil crabs!

 

[wbholwell]

gwen_o_lyn wrote: Looks cute to me.

If you've had him for 10 months and he hasn't destroyed anything, then why not keep him??

That's what I thought, although I haven't seen my peppermint shrimp in my nano for a few days. So I put him in my 72 gallon tank- he can't do much harm in there

 

[glxtrix]

almost looks like an emerald crab, but minus the emerald part, lol.

 

[wbholwell]

Yeah, I was told by someone that it might be a "red" emerald crab- ever heard of one of those?

 

[vettesarebest]

Red Emerald crab. That kind of defeats the purpose of the Emerald part. lol