Arrow Head Crab - Safe or Vicious?

bkreitler · Oct 17, 2021

So, I introduced an arrow head crab to my 310 gallon tank yesterday. This evening I found him clutching a large and dead sandsifting goby. I tried to free the goby, but he was already dead. Do you think that the arrow head crab killed the goby OR do you think the goby was already dead and he was just trying to get a meal? I don't actually know. I saw both of my sand sifting gobies earlier today and they both seemed fine and were busy as usual. The arrow head crab is quite large and now I'm wondering if the rest of my fish and gobies are going to be safe. Any thoughts, feedback or recommendations? Thanks!!

Ocypode sinensis · Oct 17, 2021

My arrow crab eats snails and small hermits, and he's constantly poking towards my fish, but I don't think he can kill a healthy fish as long as the fish is not too small.

kittenbritches · Oct 17, 2021

My arrowhead didn't bother anyone, but our tank only had three fish. I was so sad when he was murdered by fireworms.

bkreitler · Oct 18, 2021

are they known to kill other fish and other inverts?

SlugSnorter · Oct 28, 2021

bkreitler said:
So, I introduced an arrow head crab to my 310 gallon tank yesterday. This evening I found him clutching a large and dead sandsifting goby. I tried to free the goby, but he was already dead. Do you think that the arrow head crab killed the goby OR do you think the goby was already dead and he was just trying to get a meal? I don't actually know. I saw both of my sand sifting gobies earlier today and they both seemed fine and were busy as usual. The arrow head crab is quite large and now I'm wondering if the rest of my fish and gobies are going to be safe. Any thoughts, feedback or recommendations? Thanks!!

they can kill, they aren't really reef safe. If the goby was healthy the crab might have killed it, if it was sick the crab could just be having a meal on opportunity