Id of this crap in lobophillya?

[Gabbone]

Hi all,

I just pull out from the tissue of my lobo this thing. He survived 2 dips and probably was the issue which was bringing my lobo to loosing tissue. I think he was eating the lobo. Is that a crab? Pics are zoommed!

Thanks!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, that's a gall crab (taxonomic family Cryptochiridae), possibly a Lithoscaptus species, but I don't know for sure at the moment:

It has an obligate relationship with the coral - so I doubt the crab would survive long without it.

That said, gall crabs are considered parasites; they shouldn't kill a coral, but they burrow into the skeletons - so if it's a big crab and a small coral, it's a bad combination. If the coral is a decent size, then the crab should just cause a mild deformity; problems generally only arise from algae that grows on the deformed coral skeleton that sticks out through the dead skin.

So, basically, if the coral is big, it'll be fine; if the coral is small, it could die; if the coral is medium-sized, it'll probably be unhappy, but it should survive just fine.

 

[Gabbone]

Thanks! Coral is midsize and it was receding. Can be the cause?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Thanks! Coral is midsize and it was receding. Can be the cause?

Likely, it is a gall crab, which are a kind of parasitic crab that bores holes in the skeleton, and the flesh in too in most circumstances, but usually only to make the hole as they eat mucus produced by the coral, their behaviors often irritate the coral and definitely can cause it to receede. Watch out for more, that one appears to be a male and its not uncommon for them to come in groups

 

[stoney7713]

Thanks! Coral is midsize and it was receding. Can be the cause?

Yes they can kill the coral. Do a search on how they burrow into the skeleton.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Thanks! Coral is midsize and it was receding. Can be the cause?

Yeah, if you find a gall in that area (a deformed part that's basically been turned into a cave), then it may well be the cause.

Again, they generally don't kill good-sized corals, but they will cause deformation and some recession/irritation - so they definitely don't help the corals.

 

[Gabbone]

Thank you all guys. It was very easy to pull it tho. I’ll look for more tomorrow. Hope my lobo will recover!

 

[VintageReefer]

I wasn’t expecting this when I was in your other help thread! How did you find it and get it out?

 

[Gabbone]

I wasn’t expecting this when I was in your other help thread! How did you find it and get it out?

My water parameters are really good so I thought it must be something else.

Since most of the critters go out at night, before going to bed I put my iphone flash and I start checking the lobo. I saw a little hole and I spotted something moving there. Like little antenna going in and out. Then I took a curved twezeerd and I just went in the flesh pulling this stuff out. I was trying to be as careful as possible to avoid damaging the lobo.

 

[Gabbone]

I think its going in necrosis. Should I bin?

 

[VintageReefer]

It doesn’t look great but i wouldn’t give up

Feed at night

Do you have iodine or Restor?
You could try a soak in those and then feed at night

 

[Gabbone]

No unfortunatelly.

If in necrosis can be dangerous for other corals?

 

[Macbalacano]

Ah never knew about this crab and what it can do, sorry for the trouble, but hoping your lobo makes it!

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I think its going in necrosis. Should I bin?

Iodine dip

 

[Gabbone]

I just ordered online some lugol's iodine. I gonna get it tomorrow or friday. Is gonna be too late then?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I just ordered online some lugol's iodine. I gonna get it tomorrow or friday. Is gonna be too late then?

Should hang on until then

 

[Gabbone]

To know already, this Lugol's iodine I bought is at 5%. How much should I use? And for how long?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

To know already, this Lugol's iodine I bought is at 5%. How much should I use? And for how long?

If it's marketed as a coral dip it should have instructions, if not I'll find out for you

 

[Gabbone]

Nop, it's not marked as a coral dip.

This is the link --> https://www.naturalheroes.nl/produc...YV9k6TqYbmWNr4xXauqO6N4ohOmkfhJRoCaHIQAvD_BwE

"This Lugol's Iodine consists of 85% distilled water, 10% potassium iodide and 5% lodine"

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[Gabbone]

Maybe @Randy Holmes-Farley knows?