Crab ID Please

[Scuba_Steve]

Just caught this guy. My rock is TBS, but I did not find him in their catalog of critters. He is a bit hairy, but I don't see black tips on his claws. Any idea on what he is? Thanks!

 

[AlSimmons]

Xanthid crab perhaps?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rs/index.php

 

[Ztous]

Looks like a jerk to me I would put him in your sump if you want to keep it.

 

[billdogg]

Looks like a jerk to me I would put him in your sump if you want to keep it.

This.

It looks like it may have the potential to get large and nasty. The sump is a perfect place for it. Just don't forget it's there, and then 2 years from now post on here about how a giant man-eating crab attacked you!

 

[AlSimmons]

If you are going to put it in the sump just make sure it doesn't get stuck in your pumps, mess with your ATO etc. FWIW I wouldn't want that thing roaming around my sump, but that's just me. I'd probably just take it to the LFS and be done with it.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Thanks guys! I didn't see that reefkeeping article before. Its body looks more like a grapsid. He is pretty fast moving as well. The only way I caught him was taking his rock out.

Regardless, I am going to assume he is no good. Ill keep searching for a while before he permanently banished. Also I hear a loud clicking sound from the tank very often. Usually in 2s or 3s, and usually at night. I wonder if he was the culprit? I have not seen any shrimp other than my peppermint. Then again, I had never seen this crab either!

 

[AlSimmons]

A clicking sound is usually associated with a Pistol shrimp. Sometimes these will hitchhike their way into our tanks on live rock, corals etc too.

Btw, here's another link that might help you ID that crab.

http://chucksaddiction.thefishestate.net/hitchcrabs.html

 

[Blitzer]

Thanks guys! I didn't see that reefkeeping article before. Its body looks more like a grapsid. He is pretty fast moving as well. The only way I caught him was taking his rock out.

Regardless, I am going to assume he is no good. Ill keep searching for a while before he permanently banished. Also I hear a loud clicking sound from the tank very often. Usually in 2s or 3s, and usually at night. I wonder if he was the culprit? I have not seen any shrimp other than my peppermint. Then again, I had never seen this crab either!

I have TBS rock also, same loud clicking noise, can be heard from another room, most frequently at night. I found several dead pistol shrimp in my shipment, so I'm assuming it's a pistol shrimp, but I've never seen it. Could be a mantis also... but nothing has been harmed yet, so no traps out.

I got quite a few crab hitchhikers also, two red mithrax crabs which are safe and a few gorillas I'm still rounding up and banishing to the sump and soon to be refugium