Purple Lobster?

[Big Goose]

Two years ago I purchased a Purple Lobster (about 3 inches long) and saw it once a few months later but never again.

Yesterday morning I found a pair of claws (and other molted parts) in the sand. The claws measured from the joint, were 1 inch! Since then, I have been trying to figure what type of creature this piece of armor could have shed.

After some research, I determined that it could have only come from the two year old lobster. The alternating pattern of dark and light bands match those on the Purple Lobster.

Anybody know the ratio of claw length to body length?

Goose

P.S. Even if he is harmful, I would have to remove 600 lbs of rocks and corals to "harvest" him- do Purple Lobster taste good?-:bum:

 

[timrandlerv10]

no, but bright red-post boiling...nm...

 

[Mariner]

Don't know for sure Goose, but just guess-timating from this pic it looks like the claws are about 1/4 the length of the total lobster -- so 1 inch claws should come from a 4 inch lobster... more or less.
Also from the site where I found the pic:

Purple Lobster: Total size: around 5 in. A very attractive, and very interesting creature, that once introduced to your tank, you will never see again. This lobster doesn't grow as large as many of the other lobsters in the trade. It will eat food fallen in the rocks, and like shrimp feels more comfortable at night. Watch out for small fish and other animals that this lobster might be able to catch, because it will eat them.

HTH,
Mariner

 

[cichlid nutz]

Might look unsightly for a while but maybe make a trap from a 2 liter soda bottle (inverted opening) if you really want him out. Don't know if he's a really bad one. My experience involved no snails or hermits but he thought they were delicious

 

[JimW]

Big Goose,

Would really like to see a pic of this creature. Any chance you might be able to get a shot at it? Really neat that something of this size can hide out in such a relatively small space for such a long time!

Jim