New Live Rock...What is this animal?

[OrangeKoi]

I found a critter on my new lr before I put it in my tank. I've put the rock into a jar by itself.

It kind of has a round behind and it has claws. It is red and white striped. It has several smaller legs that it tends to allow out of it's hole to be visible basically.

I can't get a picture of it yet. I will try again.

Camera can't focus so small. The round behind was a claw by the way. And it is burgundy red.

 

[brbegle]

Careful not to kill it by 'putting it in a jar...' Hope it's a big jar. Good luck!

 

[Lev F.]

It might be a mantis shrimp. If so, watch your hands, they are nasty and hurt real bad.

 

[OrangeKoi]

jar

jar

drat! I don't want to kill the little guy. I just want to know what he is? Is he safe for a reef tank etc.

The rock he's hiding in is covered with all kinds of life forms. I'm starting to think I should scrub it?

It has mushrooms that are brown with curly white stringy sort of things in their center. It has thick furry green stuff. It also has a bright green sort of business on it that looks like ooz. Great descriptions eh? I think it has a tuft of apistasia too.

I went to this "out of the way" pet shop last year and it had 4 different kinds of LR. Today all they had was precured, G&G rock?(not sure what the initials are but apparently it's seeded baserock)

What do I do?

 

[Sk8r]

If it's a crab, sooner or later, given quiet, he'll wander out where you can get him and the rock separate. No need to scrub it, IMHO: just watch it and see what unfolds. If you sneak up on it at night and turn a flashlight on, you may see all sorts of things. The mushrooms' white stringy things are their guts: they kind of extrude them a bit when they're annoyed. Don't worry about the aiptasia: it can be fixed later. Just enjoy your rock. You may have to take the crab back to the LFS as an 'unwanted.' Such crabs as Sally Lightfoots are amusing only until they grow. And Sally Lightfoots can have that kind of coloration. On the other hand, it might be a mantis (someone will want that, and may take it off your hands) or who knows? Just wait and watch.

 

[OrangeKoi]

id

id

Do you think it could be a staghorn crab? And what exactly is that phrase meaty bits of seafood reffering to as far as diet? I have only fed my coral so far (dt)

 

[OrangeKoi]

help

help

I tried to photo him but pictures cant reach.

Maybe this sketch will bring to someones mind what he is?

 

[Fred_J]

It sounds like a crab of some kind. If it were in a bigger tub etc. you could use a tall glass with shrimp/silverside in it. Just tilt it and lean it against the rock. The crab will go in but will not be able to get out (too slippery). Scrubbing the rock could remove all kinds of colorful critters. I would only cut out the aphasia and anything that smells bad.

 

[OrangeKoi]

id

id

I'm seriously considering taking it back. It is a crab:

There are dots on his claws the same dark red color. He is very pretty.

 

[moumda]

When in doubt don't add it to your tank. I got 7 mantis in with my rock and it took me over 2 years to catch them all. Anything added to a reef tank is a serious challenge to catch later.

 

[OrangeKoi]

sounds reasonable

sounds reasonable

Thankyou so much. I will check out what kind of crab he is but I believe you are right.

There is some other critter on it too. It is bright pink and I believe it is some kind of worm because I saw the casing last night inside a hole in the rock. It looked like a 3 sided casing and appeared empty (though I spose he was just inside). Pretty, but he lives with the crab so I gotta wonder.

 

[OrangeKoi]

here's a better sketch of Mr. Crabbs

here's a better sketch of Mr. Crabbs

He really is kinda cute.

 

[Aristarchus]

love the pictures orangekoi, keep em coming

 

[Billy1234]

From the picture above it looks like a porcelain crab.. I'll try to find a picture for you to see if it matches up.

 

[jezzeaepi]

Does it have black tipped claws? Looks like it in the last picture there. If so then it is mosst likely a bad crab. It reminds me a lot of a hairy crab from your picture, but your description doesnt match a hairy crab. can you get a picture?

 

[YoungReefer06]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=802834

This looks exactly like your drawing!!!!

They say it takes out mantis shrimp!!!!

Kyle

 

[YoungReefer06]

Is that the crab you were talking about?

 

[WaterKeeper]

:lol:

This is one of the most interesting critter ID threads I've ever seen. Love the artwork.

 

[Fred_J]

If its hairy with black tipped claws it may be a gorilla crab. Very bad. The only crab I would intentionally keep is the porcelain crab. Ime all the others will eventually cause problems.

 

[OrangeKoi]

oh boy

oh boy

Terriffic. This is terriffic. Yes, I think you've pegged it. They get hairy when they are large.

Only one problem.

I consulted a LFS and have confirmed by you, wrong...my reef is in trouble.

I set the monster loose...

He promptly moved off the rock, down into the large rock, oh, great, what else was on that rock.

What was that pink thing anyone?

I guess you know that as I sat there he came out and began prying things off the rock. Reef aught to be dead soon eh? I have learned my lesson. I will stop here first. No matter what that particular place advises.

How do I catch him?

I have several ghost shrimp. Think he'd go for that in a glass?

http://www.tbsaltwater.com/thepackage/watchout.html

He's little so he has no hair and he's soo cute. But now that he's comfortable his color has changed from burgundy to this!