crab hitchiker Id
- Thread starter tattooedsoul87
- Start date
geemanaz
AZ FRAG Club Member
It a Xanthidae Crabs None of which can be considered reef safe and can be the most destructive of the crab types. While very small, they seem to pick at algae on the rocks, but just as with other crabs species, once they gain a bit of size, their ability to pick off and eat any number of invertebrates and corals also increases. They also have a bad habit of enlarging their hiding places within live rock and will, in due time, weaken the rock considerably.
LeslieH
Premium Member
Actaeodes tormentosus. Probably one of the crabs that show up most frequently on IP live rock. Very common in nature. Newly settled crabs like to create burrows directly under corals while the older ones will move into crevices in the rock. Out in the wild they are primarily algae eaters, secondarily a predator on smaller crustaceans, worms, & other inverts. Once they're in a tank their feeding habits can change quite a bit because their favorite foods aren't there.
One interesting thing about some of these xanthids is that they're toxic. One variety is even called the "suicide crab" in some island groups. Species of algae that they eat - macro & micro - contain a lot of nasty toxins that accumulate in the crab's flesh. They can have high levels of tetrodotoxin (puffer fish toxin), saxitoxin (paralytic shellfish poisoning), and others. Another species of xanthid likes to nibble on zoanthids so it contains polytoxin.
Geemanaz - providing information from other websites is a good way to answer questions but it would be nicer if you gave credit where it's due. Chuck's Addiction is a labor of love. Chuck Raabe's put in an incredible amount of effort to create this fantastic free site so please at least provide a link when you quote him. http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchcrabs.html
One interesting thing about some of these xanthids is that they're toxic. One variety is even called the "suicide crab" in some island groups. Species of algae that they eat - macro & micro - contain a lot of nasty toxins that accumulate in the crab's flesh. They can have high levels of tetrodotoxin (puffer fish toxin), saxitoxin (paralytic shellfish poisoning), and others. Another species of xanthid likes to nibble on zoanthids so it contains polytoxin.
Geemanaz - providing information from other websites is a good way to answer questions but it would be nicer if you gave credit where it's due. Chuck's Addiction is a labor of love. Chuck Raabe's put in an incredible amount of effort to create this fantastic free site so please at least provide a link when you quote him. http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchcrabs.html
tattooedsoul87
New member
Thanks for the relplies, it doesnt come out of the rock very often that i have seen so next time i see him out ill try to catch him
geemanaz
AZ FRAG Club Member
it was late last night and just copy and past the info and forgot to give the credit where it's due thank you for pointing it out Leslie and will fix my Errors
LeslieH
Premium Member
:beer:
BEASTIEPENDENT
Member
A. tomentosus is a relatively small crab, the biggest reliable indication is 35 millimeters (carapace breadth).
BTW there are also no reliable (!) indications that it harms anything. It probably belongs to the many other Xanthids which mainly feed on algae and detritus.
BTW there are also no reliable (!) indications that it harms anything. It probably belongs to the many other Xanthids which mainly feed on algae and detritus.
