ID Please !!!

[ihavtats29]

I had this Crab once before in my tank, I wasn't sure what it was really, my wife called it an hairy ape, it never bothered my corals or ate any of the fish. but I would appreciate it if someone can please tell me what crab is this, and if it is safe in my tank with what I have .. Thanks

 

[LeslieH]

I do believe that's one of the species commonly known as teddy bear crabs, Pilumnus vespertilio in particular. It primarily eats seaweed (reds are preferred over greens) but will also snip legs off brittle stars and break open shells to get at the snails & hermit crabs inside.

 

[ihavtats29]

i usedc to feed it table shrimp it never bothered anything in the tank

 

[Plecoman]

That's a wicked looking dude

 

[ihavtats29]

thanks that's why i want to get another one !!!

 

[Floridaboy704]

That is one awesome looking crab!!! Good luck finding another one.

 

[Homereef]

Hairy Ape = Gorilla :lol:

 

[LeslieH]

Well, for every animal there's the general & the specific. The general is "members of this species are known to eat 21 types of seaweed, brittle stars, hermits, and snails"; the specific is "RC has an individual of this species in his tank and it will only eat Graciliaria, big macs, and Flying Purple People Eater zoas". That's why it's really hard to give advice on whether something is reef safe or not If the one you had before never bothered your corals ihavtats29 then hopefully the next one won't either but there's no guarantee.

 

[timthetoolman]

Cool, I thought it was the Yeti.

 

[Guygettnby]

i have one in my hitch hiker tank and he is rather agressive. but it is a very cool adition too any none reef tank. they sell them at saltwaterfish.com as well

 

[ihavtats29]

if feed daily it seemed to not be agressive, it just liked to hide allot

 

[Guygettnby]

that is 1 cool looking crab. it would make a great addition to my hitch hiker tank. did you buy the crab or get it as a hitch hiker? if you bought it were from?

 

[skeletor121]

I think I have something like this in my tank. I have only seen it's legs sticking out of a small crack in my rock. I have not seen it come out of it's little hiding spot and nothing in my tank seems to be going south. I have been keeping my eye out for it in case it decides to chomp on something. If it does that, out of the main tank it goes.

 

[ihavtats29]

it was a hitchiker on some live rock from kermits reef one of my lfs,

skeletor place a small piece of table shrimp neer where you see its leg it may come out and eat it

 

[natan1]

It might even be the recently discovered Kiwa hirsuta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwa_hirsuta).

 

[ihavtats29]

no it wasnt that for sure, the one i had was like a fuzzy white emerald crab,

 

[Firefish3]

It has my brothers arms.

 

[Coralfrenzy]

Thats a really cool looking crab