Elusive Crab.

[Titleist1964]

Well the title says it all. I saw 2 lil hitch hiking crabs briefly when I building my scape. I've seen one molted shell when I had to redo the scape. But since, I've noticed since several burrows under the scape, also happen to look up at the perfect time and witnessed a rock at the fromt of my scape moving, caught a glimpse but he vanished into hi burrows to quickly to get a pic.
Any idea what type of my lil bulldozing crab may be? I'm trying to get a pic.

 

[JoJosReef]

My most recent one that I caught by setting up 3 bait traps (using the Red Sea testing vials): gorilla crab. Also was very good at hiding, but I caught movement one day and kept observing the area in the evening under red light until confirmed it was a no bueno crab.

 

[Titleist1964]

Thanks. Looks like I need a red light to find this guy, he has so many burrows and tunnels, I believe he moves about under the rocks.

 

[JoJosReef]

I've seen them usually come out and roam around once the lights are dimmed down. With AI Prime, I just turn on the red light a bit, but I also bought a red flashlight that works well for watching the crab(s) come out, as well as other horrific critters like Eunice worms. Sometimes you don't want to see what comes our of your live rock at night!

 

[Titleist1964]

I've seen them usually come out and roam around once the lights are dimmed down. With AI Prime, I just turn on the red light a bit, but I also bought a red flashlight that works well for watching the crab(s) come out, as well as other horrific critters like Eunice worms. Sometimes you don't want to see what comes our of your live rock at night!

Lol. Yea after purchasing aquacultured live rock and live sand from TBS I can only imagine.

 

[JoJosReef]

People freak out about pests. I freak out when I see something. But so far the gorilla has been the only thing that seems to be worth the effort of taking out. The Eunice worms have only been grazing and picking on the live rock, so they could easily be any of the thousand species of Eunice worms that aren't super predators. Just pulled this out yesterday, as it was sitting on the glass:

I think uninvited crabs are worth pulling out, because they have a pretty bad track record. I have a gorilla living under my return pump. No idea how it got there, but impossible for it to get out as far as I can tell, so king of his own AIO chamber, I guess.

 

[LegendaryCG]

I’ve had pretty good luck “challenging” crabs with tongs. They like to attack them and if you’re quick you can grab their claw.

 

[Titleist1964]

Only issue I have with this lil crab, is the way it burrows and tunnels under the rock, I've seen it move one already and hate to see him it roll over a few others.

 

[Titleist1964]

Able to sneak a peak and a pic or 2, he looks fuzzy and greenish

 

[Titleist1964]

I'm thinking Emerald? I had one tiny green bubble on one of my rocks, ots been gone for a while. So I'm guessing Emerald.

 

[JoJosReef]

I'm thinking gorilla. You'd have to get a good pic of the claws to be sure, but that looks very similar to my return chamber crab, which is 100% gorilla (you should see it attach my forceps when I try to fish it out--chamber is tiny though so I can't get down there far enough.

 

[Titleist1964]

I'm thinking gorilla. You'd have to get a good pic of the claws to be sure, but that looks very similar to my return chamber crab, which is 100% gorilla (you should see it attach my forceps when I try to fish it out--chamber is tiny though so I can't get down there far enough.

I'll keep trying to get a better pic, thanks