Here is a nice photo of a crab that I can't identify, can you?

[Ron13a]

Hello! I've been a lurker and this is my 1st post. After keeping a marine aquarium for most of the 1990's, I'm back into it and have set up a couple of tanks. (My how things have changed!) I bought a bunch of live rock off a dude to get started and this crab, about the size of a small biscuit, was among my rock. It's a faded pinkish purple, black tips on the claws, and NOT hairy. He's aggressive and playful. I love this crab, so it's got it's very own 20 gal tank. Can any of you identify it? Here's the picture:

 

[Ron13a]

Okay, it's got a little hair on it.

 

[Noah 123]

I can't identify it, but it looks like a bad crab. If you like it a lot though, I'd keep it in a species only tank. I wouldn't trust that thing to be left with anything else.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Maybe a species of stone crab.

 

[Betta132]

It does look like a stone crab, I'd say. Never heard of a purple stone crab, but the claws are very similar.
Glad to hear you're keeping him instead of killing him! Do you feed him meaty foods?

 

[Ron13a]

I don't understand killing a crab. I like crabs. Feisty little creatures. Fun to watch too. I feed him Omega One small marine pellets. I had another crab like him in the main tank, but he disappeared before I could place him in his own tank. He was like this one, but bigger and greenish. I looked under rocks, ran my fingers through the sand, looked under furniture in the room, but never found him. He was a good 3 to 4 inches side to side.

 

[Calappidae]

I ran my fingers through the sand.

There's only one way you'd know if he was hiding in there doing that

I'm just not up for killing things myself..

When I catch something it goes in something else, and I try to keep it alive (I managed to keep an eucinid alive in a glass jar for 3 days..go me!:xlbirthday

 

[Ron13a]

I don't like killing things either. I know that crabs can be destructive, but they are fun pets. This big guy in the picture is a character. I can drop a pellet in a random corner and he can track it down within minutes. Cool critter.

 

[Betta132]

If he is a stone crab, he'll get kinda large and rather impressive. You can show him off to people!
Can we see a size comparison?
Most crabs can be handled by holding onto the two furthest back legs or the back of the main body area, as they can't reach. Blue crabs are particularly nimble and will get you if not held by their legs, but I think this guy has a bulky enough frame that you can grab him fairly far back on the body if you gotta pick him up.