What is this little guy in my zoas??

[vcarlyle62]

So I had an algae pellet land next to my zoa rock and this guy crawled out and started munching. I've had these zoas for about 4 weeks and never seen this guy. I Did bayer dip AND Fw dip before going in the tank.

 

[vcarlyle62]

Here's a video as well ... not sure I should be happy about free friend or taking out the coral

 

[bradleym]

I don't have an ID for you, but if it eats algae that's usually a good sign.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Can you set up a trap so you can examine it more closely? Could be an emerald crab (usually good) or something more sinister...

 

[CocoReef]

Can you set up a trap so you can examine it more closely? Could be an emerald crab (usually good) or something more sinister...

I dont think its an emerald crab. Definitely a crab though. It looks like a gorilla crab to me but its hard to tell in the pictures. If thats the case I would banish it to your sump or refugium if you have one. Ive heard they can have an appetite for coral.

 

[Karen00]

I agree that it looks like a crab but it's hard to tell if it's friend or foe. If you can trap it to get better pics or pics under white light might help. Are you able to make out what's all over it? Are those tiny hairs?

 

[shakacuz]

pitho crab, perhaps

 

[vcarlyle62]

Problems getting video to load... sorry

 

[vcarlyle62]

It's too tiny to trap. It goes back into the zoa rock soo fast too. Seems to have hairy legs like emerald but sooooo tiny and that face only a mother could love

 

[vcarlyle62]

He seems to want the whole algae pellet and keeps pulling it in the way of good video

 

[vcarlyle62]

Trying to get better video ...

 

[Karen00]

Maybe pitho like @shakacuz said or mithrax? They're generally good eating algae and detritus. They also eat algae wafers/pellets. Keep them well fed and they won't go after coral and small fish. I'm sure more crab aficionados will chime in. He is very cute!

 

[SchrutesReefs]

It's too tiny to trap. It goes back into the zoa rock soo fast too. Seems to have hairy legs like emerald but sooooo tiny and that face only a mother could love

Unless it’s a widow, then she’d eat that frightening spawn of ghost crabs

 

[Karen00]

Trying to get better video ...

OMG. He is tiny! That algae wafer is easily three times the size of him. Either that or that algae wafer is huge! Haha.

 

[vcarlyle62]

Nope, it's a small algea wafer, he just tiny tiny .