emerald crab

[bangoo]

Hi guys, I cam home to find my purple firefish missing. I thought it had jumped out, but after searching the aquarium, I found it dead inside one of my rock next to emerald crab. I'm wondering if my crab got a hold of the fish. I thought they only eat bubble algae?? Have any body here with emerald crab eaten your fish???

 

[Ike]

They're scavengers, he's just doing his job. The chances are slim to none for an emerald crab to even catch a somewhat healthy fish, virtually impossible for the crab to then be able to kill it and eat it.

 

[bangoo]

They're scavengers, he's just doing his job. The chances are slim to none for an emerald crab to even catch a somewhat healthy fish, virtually impossible for the crab to then be able to kill it and eat it.

Thanks, it sounds like fish died then the crab got to it.

 

[cykenp]

Agreed, most scavengers get wrongfully blamed for deaths just because we only witness them picking at them after they die of another reason. Emeralds don't eat just bubble algae, in fact, I have yet to see them actually pick at bubble algae, though I have seen them go for other algae/leftovers.

 

[650-IS350]

MithraxFAQs

 

[Ike]

If these things were the menace they've been made out to be by some I would have had all kinds of problems in my tanks for the last 10+ years... While I have had themk pick at something I don't want them to from time to time they're harmless for the most part. Have you ever watched an emerald crab try to catch a piece of flake food or a pellet? They're bumbling morons and I simply don't see how they could catch a somewhat helathy fish... I've got the worlds slowest/oldest firefish and several large emerald crabs, he would be a goner if these crabs really could catch a fish. Or maybe I've just been really lucky.

I've still got the crabs from when I made this post.

Observations of the Emerald Crab (Mithrax Sculptus) - Reef Central Online Community

 

[650-IS350]

they just don't last for me... just end up dissapearing.

 

[Ike]

they just don't last for me... just end up dissapearing.

I had the same problem until this last group, no clue why it changed...

 

[makingbubbles]

I had one that managed to get stuck between to rocks. I do believe mine was a little bit slower than ikes crabs.

 

[DML08]

the ones I have had were evil.. they would eat zoa's and SPS, heck one even cought my yellow coris wrasse and had a meal.. here is a crappy cell phone video of one having a SPS feast...
YouTube - emerald crab vs sps

 

[650-IS350]

just like every other crab, vegitarian when young then as it ages it modifies it diet to include meaty food and becomes oppotunistic.

 

[makingbubbles]

that vid is awesome! no it just proves that shrimp and crabs are opportunistic feeders and will eat whats available.