Crab ID

[sonfahig]

Hoping someone can give me an idea what kind of crab this is and if I need to try to move it to my refugium.

 

[keagan]

Pointy claws and hairy legs sump it until you can prove it reef safe don't wait.

 

[Reef Jedi]

I agree to sump it to be safe until further observation can occur. It’s hard to tell in both photos what exactly it is. Hairy legs could be a juvenil gorilla crab however its body does not look like one. It’s white claws are also throwing me off however they are pointy. Typically pointy claws = meat eater. I don’t believe it’s in the Mithrax family since it doesn’t have “spoon” tipped claws.

If you get a chance for better pictures under white lights that would help more!

 

[sonfahig]

It came in on TBS live rock if that makes a difference. I’ll try to get a better photo in the morning. I scared it into the rocks for now trying to catch it. Would definitely take any advice on scooping it out as well.

 

[sonfahig]

Not sure these are any better but maybe the combination of all of them will help identify. No luck getting him out yet. He does seem to swipe at the clowns when they come close but not sure if that’s self defense. Definitely trying to move him to the refugium.

 

[keagan]

It came in on TBS live rock if that makes a difference. I’ll try to get a better photo in the morning. I scared it into the rocks for now trying to catch it. Would definitely take any advice on scooping it out as well.

Might be hard to get a good enough picture for a reliable ID while it's in the tank. Have you ever seen someone make the inverted water bottle minnow traps? You could use a version of that if the crabs too big for the hole you can cut a bigger one. Just put a small piece of anything meaty inside as bait. Don't leave it in long enough for the bait to rot.

 

[sonfahig]

I was using one to try to get a mantis shrimp out that I got in the same live rock. Didn’t have any success catching anything and I ended up buying one on Amazon that also didn’t work. I finally yanked the rock out and blasted his hole with high salinity water to be able to take him to the lfs to be rehomed. I’ve still got the Amazon trap I can try putting that back out and seeing if I have better luck the second time around.

 

[keagan]

I was using one to try to get a mantis shrimp out that I got in the same live rock. Didn’t have any success catching anything and I ended up buying one on Amazon that also didn’t work. I finally yanked the rock out and blasted his hole with high salinity water to be able to take him to the lfs to be rehomed. I’ve still got the Amazon trap I can try putting that back out and seeing if I have better luck the second time around.

I've never tried trapping a mantis shrimp but crabs are pretty easy to trap. If the Amazon trap doesn't work a clean high sided plastic container with a hole in the lid might work better. If you get it in a trap get a top down picture of the carapace (body).

@LiverockRocks

I think this is a Tampa bay Live rock account? Sorry for the tag if it isn't. I think I seen them suggest I.D on Tampa live rock hitchhikers before.

 

[kevgib67]

I was using one to try to get a mantis shrimp out that I got in the same live rock. Didn’t have any success catching anything and I ended up buying one on Amazon that also didn’t work. I finally yanked the rock out and blasted his hole with high salinity water to be able to take him to the lfs to be rehomed. I’ve still got the Amazon trap I can try putting that back out and seeing if I have better luck the second time around.

Stick with it, it took me over a week to catch a stone crab with a bottle trap. Every day taking it out, replacing the bait but eventually got it and it payed off in the end. Can’t expect to get it the first few times, good luck!