Red Emerald Crab? Is there such a thing?

[gordob]

I have been watching a crab in my tank for some time now, and he seems to be causing no damage. I haven't been able to get a good look at it until last night. It is about the size of a quarter, and has two long front claws and furry legs. It looks just like an Emerald Crab, but is reddish. Is anyone familiar with these?

I can't get any pictures of it, because it is very shy.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[jonboyb]

I've seen red emeralds at a couple of LFS's so I assume it is a real species.

 

[seedless reefer]

Yes there is its called a Ruby Mithrax.

 

[treyeleven]

yes there are reddish and green emerald crabs. There are pink crabs that look similar to emeralds but are not reef safe. Hope this helps.

 

[gordob]

Thanks guys! That definitely helps. The link you sent was great, Loren. Mine looks very similar to that, so we'll assume that's what it is.

Thanks again,
Brad

 

[gordob]

Yeah, it's a pretty big sucker!

 

[solargrin]

I bought a red emerald crab from my LFS, so they do exist and can be beneficial to your tank.

 

[Reefplumber13]

Amberjack;346200 wrote: WOW, size of a quarter, that's big!

lol i had one that was the size of a half dollar not just its body but the whole thing... mostly its body was big