Crab ID

[1979fishgeek]

ID please, very well behaved never comes out his cave and just picks at unseen specs on the rocks.
Might be making a clicking noise like a pistol shrimp....

 

[jsker]

Hmmmm good question

 

[1979fishgeek]

Just seen him again tonight still only little fella, hardly grown still about 1cm big. He was just picking at tiny specs on the rocks again from inside his cave, which he never comes out of. Still the same looking dark smooth purplish red body, striped legs tiny red claws.

 

[1979fishgeek]

His claw looks black in the photo, buts it's actually just a darker version of his body.

 

[Roboson]

He looks a lot like one of the crabs I have in my "Danger Tank." I'll see if I can get a pick of it. He's got meat eating claws though, so beware.

 

[1979fishgeek]

Never seen him use his big claw for anything other than waving, which he pokes out a hole to the hilt and waves about like directing traffic. He uses the little claw for picking at specs on the rock.

 

[Roboson]

The striped legs scream gorilla/stone crab. As does the darkening of the claw.

 

[1979fishgeek]

I thought perhaps gorilla but could not find a example of one without hairs or with such different sized claws?

Stone crab has two same size/shape black claws.

Ruby Mithrax crab is similar but again has different claws, can't find any with two different claws like him... Apart from fiddlers but they look completely different.

 

[1979fishgeek]

http://reefguide.org/index17.html#True_Crabs

Red ridge clinging crab?
Sawedged Spoon crab?

 

[Roboson]

That's just a molt in the picture right?

 

[1979fishgeek]

Yes, but looks just like the real guy.

 

[Roboson]

My money is on gorilla/stone crab. They don't really get hairy until they get much bigger than that. The claw shape, the darkening of the larger claw, the striped legs, the red color, they all point towards carnivore crab. However, at that size I wouldn't worry about him. Just know that one day you may have to. I'm a big fan of crabs, especially in reef tanks, but they always have the possibility of being a danger.

 

[1979fishgeek]

Well if he ever miss behaves I can banish him to the sump, thank you.

 

[Naiad]

Crabs in the genus Eriphia tend to have a dominate claw for grabbing/crushing and a small sharp claw for cutting. I would look there. Being a baby it will be some time until you will see species traits though.

 

[Salty1962]

Looks like a Trapezia Pocillopora/Acropora Crab-Trapezia sp. I have @4-5 in my DT. Can damage smaller frags but colonies don't have a problem with them.

 

[1979fishgeek]

He has not grown since December, moulted twice (that I could find) but not noticed a huge difference in his size, hopefully this means he is a slow grower.