Not a porcelain crab!???

[fstar25]

I bought a porcelain crab at the LFS. Well I thought it was, it was hiding and it took awhile for the Guy to catch it so I didn't see it. Once I got it home I don't think it is. He is currently in my observation tank.

Anybody know?

~Frank

 

[fstar25]

Another pic from in the tank

~Frank

 

[Supasalty]

It looks like a porcelain crab to me you can even see the filter feeder appendages.

 

[mscarpena]

It looks like a porcelain crab to me you can even see the filter feeder appendages.

I agree. Its a porcelain crab. I love them.

 

[fstar25]

Thanks. I was looking at pics like this and mine doesn't have the white border on his claws.

~Frank

 

[LeslieH]

They're both porcellanids but different species in two genera. Yours is a Petrolisthes & will stay hidden in the rocks most of the time. The other one is Neopetrolisthes maculata which is an obligate commensal on anemones. Being protected by the coral it stays in the open.

 

[fstar25]

Ah, so I did get a porcelain crab, but not the species I wanted. Thank you.

~Frank

 

[Elysia]

I think you received the better animal. They are great crabs. And if you want to see it, you can feed it pieces of meaty food with forceps and it will grab the food and get use to use (althogh they filter feed, mine have always willingly taken food given to them, and yet were completely peaceful.)

 

[fstar25]

Thank you for the info. I was hoping to get something for MT anemone because my clowns want nothing to do with it. But I must admit this Guy is growing on me. A little cyclo in water and comes out and does his nom nom dance.

~Frank

 

[Premiumaq]

... There are many, many variations on the Petro and Neopetro species... black and blues from the near Pacific, every variation of purple, green and brown from the Indo, Red and Orange and White speckled... And in the hobby, we really only see the common Atl and Pac versions.

If you buy Indo-Pacific rock (I've had the best luck with Alor-type rock) during your area's winter months, the incoming boxes hold excellent humidity without overheating and the rock is chock FULL of various filter crabs. Finding two or three live per box is not at all uncommon, so long as the temperature/humidity balance maintains. Of course, since the beneficial crabs are making it through, so are tons of things that are better left in some rock pool!

 

[cdeboard]

Yeah my porcelain is nearly solid white with just a few brown/red spots on it and will not let go of my sebae nem. You got an interesting one still!

 

[fstar25]

I can't catch him now to move him to my main tank lol

~Frank

 

[BEASTIEPENDENT]

Looks like an Anomuran crab from the Petrolisthes galathinus complex. There are some color morphs and also the species P. rosariensis, caribensis (with two color morphs), columbiensis, sanmartini und bolivarensis.