Mystery crab on toadstool?

[salajander]

So a few days ago my toadstools started getting some weird yellow/green patches and drooped a bit. I posted about that here.

The toadstools are still in the same state, but that growth?

It's some sort of crab!

Known crabs in the tank are a handful of hermits, 2 emeralds, and 1 pom pom. I saw all three of them the same day the toadstools started acting up, and this doesn't look like any of those crabs?

Does anyone have any ideas what kind of crab this is? And how it would have stayed hidden for 1 1/2 years?




I'm baffled - it really doesn't look like any of the crabs I've ever had in the tank. Is it a molting gone horribly wrong? It's bizarre, and sort of creepy...

Gallery of toadstools and mystery crab.

 

[Heatherabel3]

Have you taken it out? If that is what is making your coral droop and be unhappy then I would definitely take it out and at least throw it in the sump if you have one until you can find out what it is.

 

[salajander]

I just noticed it was a crab tonight... I'll take it out of it's still there tomorrow.

I'm baffled as to what kind of crab it is, though.

 

[Heatherabel3]

I have been looking and can't find anything that looks exactly like it. It's kinda neat though.

 

[salajander]

And it's gone this morning. No sign of it on the toadstools, or anywhere nearby that I can see.

Bizarre.

 

[salajander]

Scratch that - it was on the stalk again, but in the back where I couldn't see it at first. I pulled it out and put it in my refugium.

Here's some pics of it out of the tank (couldn't get my phone to focus one-handed, unfortunately) as well as the two emeralds. I'm certain this isn't the pom-pom; totally wrong shape.

Crazy to have something that size suddenly appear after 1 1/2 years.

 

[Xxero]

In those pics, it looks like an Emerald Crab to me.

 

[Xxero]

Oh nvm...I see you included the 2 Emeralds.

Funky.

 

[uncleL]

White Anemone Crab

 

[aujosh84]

I am 95% certain that is a Gorilla crab. I bet the tips of his claws are black/darker than the rest and pointy.

 

[salajander]

You may be right. I couldn't get a close look at the tips, though, but looking at photos around the innerwebs I think you're right.

These pics, especially...

It's amazing to me that he's been completely out of sight for 1 1/2 years.

 

[salajander]

I haven't seen any coral damage (to the zoas that have been in there from day 1 on the live rock) or to the leathers, until the toadstools just very recently.

 

[Sk8r]

He'll do fine in your sump or fuge, not with fish or corals.

 

[snoopie702]

To me looks like it can be a hairy gorilla crab or a teddy bear crab

 

[Friday24]

Looks almost identical to the gorilla crab I got as a hitch hiker but lighter in color, if it is get it out or into a fuge, not good for corals

 

[salajander]

He's in the fuge now.

 

[salajander]

Much happier now: