Hitchhiker Crab ID

[webdizzy]

Just got my TBS sand/rock today. Water is too cloudy to see a lot yet, but I did find a little crab in the bottom of one of the bags. He's little -- body is maybe 1/2 inch), red, has white bands around its legs, and is "hairy". Pinchers have white tips. Is this a good guy or bad guy? Tough to get a decent photo, but I'll try.

 

[webdizzy]

Well, he's gotten darker in color now that he's warm -- brown now, which from what I remember means he's a "bad guy".

 

[Yogre]

Check out the pictures on Richard's website... looks to me like he might be a red mithrax crab. Not a bad crab.

My experience has been that the biggest troublemakers when it comes to crabs have sharp, black tipped claws.

 

[webdizzy]

Check out the pictures on Richard's website... looks to me like he might be a red mithrax crab. Not a bad crab.

My experience has been that the biggest troublemakers when it comes to crabs have sharp, black tipped claws.

I did look at Richard's pictures. Didn't really see anything that matched.

 

[Yogre]

Hmmmmm... if he's not a red mithrax, I'm out of ideas. Maybe sump him till Richard can ID him?

 

[webdizzy]

Just looked again -- I think it IS a red mithrax!

 

[Yogre]

Cool!

The one in my tank came with Part 2... he's grown to be about as big as a quarter across his body.I hardly see him during the daytime, he's pretty active at night. The worst crime I've seen him commit was picking at one of my candelabra gorgs, and even then he really only aggravated it... no lasting damage.

 

[webdizzy]

Cool!

The one in my tank came with Part 2... he's grown to be about as big as a quarter across his body.I hardly see him during the daytime, he's pretty active at night. The worst crime I've seen him commit was picking at one of my candelabra gorgs, and even then he really only aggravated it... no lasting damage.

That's good to hear! I went ahead and added him to the tank. The white bands on the legs convinced me. He's the only hitchhiker I've found so far, but the tank is still pretty cloudy after putting everything in. Thanks for the help!

 

[graveyardworm]

Is it hairy? If so its most likely a bad guy.

Another thing to look at is the claws. If they are pointy its likely to be a predator type. If the tips are flattened the most likely a grazer. Remember though all crabs aside from perhaps Porcelins are opportunistic feeders.

 

[Yogre]

I'm pretty sure webdizzy has a red mithrax crab. According to Richard's website, not an undesirable like a gorilla crab.

That said, I do agree crabs are opportunistic feeders. I've even seen one of my larger porcelains grab a big chunk of shrimp with its claws and munch on it. I just hope it didn't develop a taste for raw flesh...

 

[webdizzy]

It looks just like this one from Richard's photos as well as others on his site.

 

[Raggamuffin]

if you look real close at the picture you have you will notice the tips of his claws have a flattened almost cupped apearance, DEFINATELY a mithrax, I used to have a very large green one and thats how he picked up bubble algea.

 

[lionbacker54]

+1 on the mithrax. the claw tips are blunted for algae picking. good crab.

 

[Springmo]

I saw one eating some of my GSP.