Crab Id

[SeymourDuncan]

Reef safe or not?

He came in a goniopora coral so I took em off and he's in my pickle jar awaiting his destiny

 

[SeymourDuncan]

He resembles a condensed emerald crab. Lives in holes. Has black tips on his claws. Small.

More than likely he isn't safe but if he is hey ya! Otherwise I have a Lego tank he can live in.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Anyone? He's in a jar lol. Please help me figure out which tank to put him in. Otherwise it's Lego tank regardless of species just to be safe.

I know most crabs are bad. Hence the name. Lol

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Ah hah! Gorilla crab. Great. I caught him before he did any damage. The lfs will thank me

 

[jdl513]

Not sure what genus, but based on the shape and claw configuration I would assume trouble.

Seems to me there are very few "good" hitchhiker crabs.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Stone or gorilla was the verdict. Both dangerous. 3 inch max size.

He is going to reside in my 10g until I get bored haha

 

[User Name]

You really need to provide more photos. One strait on, and one over top of the crab. Gorilla crab, means Xanthid crab. With roughly 572 species of crab in the Xanthidae family, no one can tell you much about it. It's a shot in the dark with only one photo at this angle.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

 

[Dtech07]

Never seen a emerald with black tip claws???

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Never seen a emerald with black tip claws???

Nope. Never seen a gorilla crab that don't though. Lol

 

[User Name]

Great photos. Try google image, Etisus anaglyptus.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

The anaglyptus is close. Looks a bit more like demani.

But the black claws set it off.

What about this guy? Leptodias sanguineus?

He's like sandy khaki color. Definitely no green.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Or this guy maybe.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/reefs/guamimg/crustacea/xanthidae/Pages/Image30.html

 

[Dtech07]

Normally any crab with black tips are bad. The ones that were hitchhiker were cool till they got a little bigger and then started in on everything in my tank and I mean everything 5 out of 5 went to the dark side.

 

[slapshot]

Trigger food!! Black claws means bad bad.... Bad

 

[Steviereefs]

LOL!!! nice but not so nice crabby!!!!!!!

 

[User Name]

The anaglyptus is close. Looks a bit more like demani.

But the black claws set it off.

What about this guy? Leptodias sanguineus?

He's like sandy khaki color. Definitely no green.

The Leptodius and Etisus genus are very similar and found in the same part of the world. So, either one is a definite possibility. I think one has a smoother claw than the other. I can't remember off the top of my head which one that is. Don't put too much faith in coloration. Coloration can vary drastically within a crab species. Depending on sex, age, diet, etc. What's more important is the structure of the crab (carapace shape, claw shape, length, ridging, hairs, that sort of thing). I can tell you that your crab is a female and has characteristics that fits in either genus.

 

[User Name]

Oh, and i don't believe the crab is in the Macromedaeus genus that you supplied in the link. The eyes are farther apart in your crab and the nose part of the carapace (between the eyes) is more blunt.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Ok cool!

Here he is in his new home.

So I'm gonna let him settle in and then try to compare each detail between the two most likely.

I might toss in an emerald and see if they mind each other. He is about half the size of most of the ones in my reef.

 

[Steviereefs]

HAHAHAHA I wish I had one of thoughs like buttons!!!