What kind of crab is this?

[sasa311]

Hello everyone!
I bought 2 crabs today at the local fish store:

It looks like this one.
What is it's name? And is it "reef-safe"? Because I have just picked it down from my seriatopora histrix. I dont know what it did on it but it is annoying....:rolleye1:

 

[EdKruzel]

All crabs are scavengers and omnivores and none are "reef safe", however the smaller hermits such as Blue Legged, Scarlets and Micros are so small that they do little harm.

Ed

 

[sasa311]

So may I leave it in my tank (mainly sps, 30gal)? Will it harm the corals or it is not a big problem?

 

[a4twenty]

he may eat snails ( for food or a new home ), mollusks or tube worms. the trick is to provide something easier to eat. he shouldnt go after your coral, but keep an eye on him all the same. i can't identify him but your LFS should now the name if they sold hime to you.

 

[sasa311]

thx, i try to give him something easier to eat And I will keep an eye...
LFS-s are a bit different here at Hungary They just care about money .... they do not care what you buy just pay for it :-(

 

[supernareg]

thats a blue legged crab... and yes reef safe... they dont EAT corals... but little food between polyps.

 

[artis]

Sounds like crabs. They don't care what you buy, just what you paid for it.

 

[sasa311]

Now I have a chance to buy a few calcinus elegans... Some say when it become bigger it may attack fish, shrimps or corals. Is it true?!
Because if it is (harm corals when it become bigger) I won't buy them. Thanks for the help :rollface:

 

[The0wn4g3]

How can that be a blue legged crab ? he doesn't have blue legs.
IMO it's a zebra crab. Reef safe as far as I know b/c they are usually very small.

 

[Drix]

I was gonna say, I'm getting ripped off, cuz I got a few blue leggers and that thing looks way cooler than mine (must be because it's black)

I'm gonna go with above and say thats a Zebra, I also wouldn't worry bout him too much.

 

[Paintbug]

sasa311 thats an electric blue hermit. this is a blue legged
http://www.aquahobby.com/marine/e_bluehermit.php
what you have in the fist pick, i have one in my tank. so far i havent found a 100% positvie ID. i have found that the Clibanarius sp., Clibanarius ssp., and the Clibanarius vittatus all share very simular color patterns. all of which a cousin to the common blue legged (Clibanarius tricolor). im far from a biologist so i cant really tell any differences especially without seeing a sample of all of them right in front of me .


by the way dwarf zebras have bands not stripes on their legs. just the the electric blues, but white!