Need help: ID on a crab

[Abaddon]

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7590/crab1v.jpg
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5462/crab2m.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/3686/crab3.jpg

Trying to ID these crabs. Anyone know what this thing is? They came in on some live rock and now they are everywhere! I wouldn't mind except for the fact that I caught a large one eating my sand sifting starfish! I grabbed it away from him and put it in the refugium and he's going to recover but target feeding hasn't helped. These things are voracious!

 

[whorulz1147]

I would take them out- hard to tell from the pictures, but they appear to be some form of gorilla crab. Was the live rock Florida live rock?

 

[Abaddon]

It was, yes. These things keep multiplying like crazy, too.

 

[Abaddon]

Crap. It does look like a gorilla crab. Time to try a few traps on this loser! Thanks for the ID!

 

[iamwrasseman]

picture is just a bit out of focus but it looks like a teddy bear crab . they are cool and pretty hardy as i have had one for three years . a better picture would help positivity ID him

 

[LeslieH]

Some better pictures would certainly help although it does look interesting. True teddy bears - Polydectus cupulifer - are completely covered with fine light brown hairs & carry anemones in both claws. This isn't either a teddy or a gorilla.

 

[iamwrasseman]

yah its tough to see accurately in the pictures so all we can do is somewhat guess IMO .

 

[whorulz1147]

Do a search for crab traps here on RC. The most popular is the wide mouth glass jar propped up against a rock. Put some food in the bottom- the crabs will jump in to get the food, but won't be able to crawl back out.

 

[mscarpena]

Stabbing them with a screw driver works well. I know vicious, but if your going to kill them does it really matter how it gets done.