Crab found. ..

[moga]

never thought i had this crab before.. (maybe came with live rock..)

good? or bad?..cook it?~

let me know.. i captured him while checking my light~

 

[dogstar74]

He's a bad one. I think he's a gorilla crab. You could find him a home in your sump or refugium.

 

[gveng]

black claws = bad

 

[1$R]

black claws = bad

bad as in not reef safe??? because I've had some wit black claws in my reef tank but it hasn't kill my corals yet(knock on wood). There's no sps in my tank, just lps nd softs:hmm4:

 

[rocking]

it is a gorilla crab i would just put him in sump to be a clean up crue there

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Bad crab. I had one exactly like it and it ate countless snails and hermits before moving on to fish. It killed and ate a yasha haze goby and a yellow watchman goby.

Mine:

 

[gveng]

bad as in not reef safe??? because I've had some wit black claws in my reef tank but it hasn't kill my corals yet(knock on wood). There's no sps in my tank, just lps nd softs:hmm4:

yep, not reef safe.

 

[dogstar74]

While I agree it's bad, I believe I made a mistake. I think a gorilla crab is much more "hairy" this is probably a stone crab. But I believe the diet is similar, and as Sugar Magnolia stated, they will catch fish and anything else they can devour. I believe it's only a matter of time before they get a taste for soft corals.

 

[coralnut99]

Bad crab. I had one exactly like it and it ate countless snails and hermits before moving on to fish. It killed and ate a yasha haze goby and a yellow watchman goby.

Mine:

+1. I had the exact same experience with one of these. The bugger was hiding under a ledge behind a wall he'd erected made entirely of empty astrea shells.

Make a small crab cake.

 

[karavak]

Do gorilla crabs hang out in the branches of SPS?

I noticed a small crab (.5" or smaller) hanging out in a new SPS. It looks like it has black tips on the claws and could be hairy..

 

[coralnut99]

Do gorilla crabs hang out in the branches of SPS?

I noticed a small crab (.5" or smaller) hanging out in a new SPS. It looks like it has black tips on the claws and could be hairy..

Yes they do, but be very careful of your ID of what you're dealing with. At 1/2" you could be looking at an acro crab which is totally harmless and very cool to have living in your SPS. There's a species that's rather white, and has a black mask right across the face. At that size may give the illusion of black claws. Gorilla crabs are usually tan in color, and some have distinctive light blue eyes.

 

[Lynnmw1208]

I had the same crab and my LFS said it had shredding claws which is never good. So he was a puffer snack (it was too creepy to put into my sump for me!)

 

[Liquid Hobby]

Do gorilla crabs hang out in the branches of SPS?

I noticed a small crab (.5" or smaller) hanging out in a new SPS. It looks like it has black tips on the claws and could be hairy..

I've got an acro crab and it's all white, claws also, except for a black band at the front of its head, no hair. The kids call it bandit....

 

[olemiss reb]

acro crabs, i love these guys-- http://www.chucksaddiction.com/coral_crabs.html

 

[karavak]

Ok, I'm 99% sure that what I had/have is a Gorilla crab.. he is in a container next to me at the moment.. Cute.. Black tip claws, pale blue eyes, a little fuzzy.

I guess I'll throw him in the sump.

 

[nynikki]

Any advice on how to catch one of these guys? Today I spotted what I'm pretty sure is a Gorilla Crab. For months my snails have been dying off and I haven't been able to figure out why. The shells have primarily been in one corner of the tank, so I suspected a predator, and finally I spotted the bugger! Unfortunately, the crab is at the bottom of the tank hiding out in a little cave. I was not prepared to take apart my entire tank just to get this guy out! It's a little bit of a tight area and finding a glass I can get down there hasn't been easy. Any other suggestions?

 

[ginger7286]

It's not a Gorilla, I have fished out several of those, they are purple, white and hairy. I agree with Dogstar74; Stone crab, black claws give it away. I don't believe acro crabs have dark claws. you could put it in your refug for now but definitely try to positively ID it. By placing it in your refrug you let it eat food for your large tank, just a thought. If it is a stone crab or any other bad crab wave goodbye.