Crabs, Crabs, Crabs, Crab, Cra, Cr, C

[Paul B]

I just came back from collecting amphipods and there is nothing but crabs where there should be amphipods. All my life I have been collecting amphipods but now all of the available space is over run with tiny 1/8" japanese Shore Crabs. Millions of them, billions, nothing but crabs.
I also got shrimp and these wierd looking things that I have always called stick things. They are, well stick looking things with long arms, legs, pincers and more arms, legs pincers etc. I have always collected them but I never found out what they are. I dump them in my reef but I don't think they thrive because I never find any in a few days.
I will try to take a picture but they are tiny so I doubt that will work.
So now I have hundreds of crabs that I can't put in my reef and no amphipods.
I have a rope hanging in the water near my boat and I usually lift it and let the amphipods fall into a bucket. All tiny crabs, not one amphipod so I assume the crabs are eating them. I am not sure what this will do to the eco system but next year we will be over run with these crabs.
There is also a lot of that red sponge that I feed to moorish Idols but I don't have an idol now so I didn't collect any of that.
Crabs crabs crabs crabs crabs:fun5:

 

[billsreef]

I really hate those Japanese Shore Crabs. Highly destructive. I've seen well established and very productive muscle beds turn into barren rubble zones with nothing to be found but those invasive crabs

 

[billsreef]

I also got shrimp and these wierd looking things that I have always called stick things. They are, well stick looking things with long arms, legs, pincers and more arms, legs pincers etc. I have always collected them but I never found out what they are. I dump them in my reef but I don't think they thrive because I never find any in a few days.

Sounds like Caprellid shrimp, aka Skeleton Shrimp. They are in the amphipod family, and many fish find them quite a delicacy

 

[Paul B]

Bill, for some reason there is an explosion of those crabs, much more than any time I have ever seen. They cover me when I swim from my boat.
Those shrimp don't live long in a reef, just a few hours.

 

[billsreef]

Those crabs have really been getting out of control the past few years. They are more agressive and have heavier claws the native crabs or the wimpier Eurpean invasive, the green crab. They are really displacing a lot of stuff and altering habitats

The caprellids never lasted long in a reef tank for me either. Though I've had them last a few weeks in cold water tanks.