SPS eating crab?!

[alten78]

Being in the hobby for 10+ years, I know that most crabs are opportunistic eaters, but I haven't had the "pleasure" of seeing any crab actually go for any of my SPS. I thought I was going crazy for about a week when I saw a few chunks and broken branches here and there, thought it was just the turbo knocking things over. I went to a frag swap yesterday and picked up a Hawkins, wasn't encrusted on the plug but just freshly glued on but I didn't expect it to go missing, and by missing I mean taken off of the plug.

This is what I woke up to today, besides the Hawkins gone...

Excuse the crappy cell pick, but that is my red dragon with almost all of the branches broken off and scattered around its base. I noticed a couple of small branches broken the other day but didn't think much of it -



Idahoe Grape Monti, again, saw a chunk broken off the top, thought it was weird but whatever, then the chunk off the bottom right



Then noticed that my Turaki was missing, how does a 4" epoxied and glued piece go missing? This is why, found the "bugger" (would like to use much stronger language) underneath the biggest rock in the tank. I haven't had or added new rock in years. In fact, I redid this tank a few years ago and haven't seen a crab since.



I wanted to re aquascape anyways...might as well go crab hunting while I'm at it

 

[M007]

Ouch! That crab must go :blown:

 

[alten78]

I was able to move the entire structure without breaking anything down, found the Turaki, Hawkins, a piece of blue tip stag, and a tri color acro that I didn't know was gone. Luckily, it hid in a hole in the rock that didn't have an escape route. Hopefully that's the only one in there!

Still want to rescape though

 

[Pife]

Lol. Now kill the crab. Which I'm sure you already did.

 

[Dmantz1]

I have a red mithrax crab that would strip the tissue off my sps. He is now in the sump.

 

[Icefire]

Got a better pic of the crab?

 

[alten78]

Lol. Now kill the crab. Which I'm sure you already did.

I expected it to be a much longer search and destroy mission, luckily I was able to get it quickly. I guess I was lucky that I don't have much rock or hiding spots for it, still surprised at the size of it considering I haven't added anything new in a long time or saw any earlier signs.

Got a better pic of the crab?

I didn't think about taking a pic of it post "extraction". In the above pic, it is looking to the right, looked like a typical stone/gorilla crab, smooth with a camouflage looking shell though.