ID on crab

[MarcoTheClown]

Hey guys, finally caught this little guy. I want to verify whether or not he's a gorilla crab. My photos aren't very clear, but he's hairy.

I hope everyone is hunkered down and prepared for Irma.

Thanks! Much love!

 

[ThunderGoose]

You should get some pictures under white and post under the hitchhikers forum BUT I think it's a red mitrax. Good fuge resident if you're scared for your corals (mine hasn't caused any problems, though).

 

[ThunderGoose]

Second look and I'm less confident on ID- need a better look at claws.

 

[MarcoTheClown]

How do I move this forum? Sorry, newbie.

I'll post a new picture.

 

[MarcoTheClown]

How do I move this forum? Sorry, newbie.

I'll post a new picture.

 

[ThunderGoose]

I don't know how to move a discussion but you can start a new discussion with your picture in the Hitchhiker and Critter ID forum easily enough.

Those claws look pretty small to me (admittedly I'm not one of the experts). Let's tag @Maritimer and see what he has to say. He's really good at Hitchhiker ID.

For future reference here are a coupld of good online guides to Hitchhikers: https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/ and http://chucksaddiction.thefishestate.net/hitchhikers.html.

 

[Maritimer]

He does have a Mithrax-ish look to him, but I'm struck by the small claws... I can't see the tips of his claws very well in the photo, but if they're somewhat spoon-shaped, then Mithrax or something similar sounds like a pretty good call. That's the group that includes emerald crabs, and one of the safer crabs in a reef. (I'm not sure any crab is 100% reef-safe, as almost any of them will take what they can get.)

If the claws are more pointed, even though they're not dark-tipped, I'd guess this fellow's diet to trend more carnivorous.

~Bruce

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I had some white, pink, and red gorilla looking crabs that came in on my live rock. They slowly killed each other off. The winner then started going through my inverts. Asterinas, chitons, mantis shrimp, but never touched my snails for some reason. Anyway don't be fooled into thinking it's a red mythrax because it's red. If something about it looks different than a mythrax, then it probably isn't a mythrax. But it probably will eat something you don't want it to. Even mythrax will do that, especially the males I hear.