Crab found on Acro

[triksrevival]

So last week I went to the LFS and picked up a couple of acro frags for $10 a piece. They were doing very poorly there so I figured I would give them a shot. Anyways I check them everyday to see their progress and I noticed a small crab, seen below, on top of the acro hanging out where the bleached bottom meets the live top. I have a few other SPS that are doing great and never seen this guy before and he doesnt look like a acro crab. I just want to know if he's good or bad, so far he is in the sump.

 

[benihana]

It looks like an acro crab which is good.

 

[Islander84]

kinda looks like a small emerald crab . the acro crabs ive seen are pure white. and they strike really fast at im not sure what. but they dont move around alot

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

acro crab from fiji

 

[l3leedingstar]

Kind of looks like one I found eating my acros a few months back. People told me blue eyes means bad as well as black claws, hairy shell, or one claw bigger then the other, here's a pic of mine....

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I think those are two different crabs, although they both come from fiji. Some do say that the black clawed ones have damaged acros before but I have never really seen it.

 

[markie mark]

that looks like a teddy bear crab to me and dont put it back in your tank...it has hairy legs so I can promise its not good...the acro crabs dont have hairy legs....

 

[markie mark]

and see how his body is round? the true acro crab will have a more oval shape...

 

[ati70cutlass]

most acro crabs are the bandits. i got one and he is pretty cool to watch

 

[triksrevival]

I wonder if that little guy is the reason why those acros looked so bad at the lfs, he wasn't easy getting off the coral. Im not going to take my chances and release him, then not be able to catch him again, i think bleeding star is right. Banished to the sump forever, also the acros I saved look a lot better. Their polyps are out and have much better color, good buy for me.

 

[Pallobi]

i dont think its an acro crab, though i am not 100%... maybe a small emerald that is jus pale it color, i have one in my display and he regularly hang out in my sps... does no damage, jus chills for a day or two then moves on... however if you dont know what it is exactly and there is no majority here who is set on the certainty, i would not put him back in your display... better saef than sorry...

 

[israel.kendall]

From everything I've read I am of the understanding that the blue eyed ones are bad.

 

[israel.kendall]

Also the one in the op looks to have hairy claws. I've had emeralds with hairy legs, but the claws and claw arms were always smooth and free of hair. This makes me think it is not an emerald crab.

 

[Acrotrdco]

I usually remove crabs on acro with hairy legs.

This is a pretty good article on all types of crabs including acro symbiotic crabs:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts/document_view

 

[robs.mark]

Looks like a harmless acro crab, id leave him be..

 

[coralreefhq]

Acrocrab, but if it's fuzzy like a teddy bear I pull those out and leave them in the sump.

Personally, I wouldn't keep it in my acros. The fuzzy hair irritates the crab.
Hairless, smooth crabs are the safer ones from my experience.

 

[ThaGrimy1]

I had one that looks the exact same hand have a video of it somewhere eating my polyps on the tricolor. I will see if I cant hunt the video down.

 

[allsps40]

Acro crab put him back on the coral you took him off of. I had one but lost it when treating for red bugs. They are really cool, they protect their coral and they dont hurt them.

 

[SAZAMA]

here is my crab

 

[gig]

acro's are usually smooth (like SAZMA's pic), I'd say to the fuge with him...I was surfing and melev's site sez if it's fuzzy and blue eyes, not good...lol