Nice! What all did you pick up?@officialreefbros Just put these in today. Although it seems like the shrimp are more interested in using the corals as a ladder than a source food tho. But now you’ve got me nervous!
Awesome! I considered getting a rose gold hammer, but am waiting for my cyano to be all wrapped up. I'm sure yours will be fine especially with the cleaner shrimp ruling the roost!
How big roughly is it now?Well, I’m still not sure what kind of crab this little friend is. We did confirm that it’s a “true crab” in that it has four legs. So, it certainly is not a porcelain crab as we had initially suspected.
Over the past two weeks, I have noticed new behavior: the crab will come out for food and then promptly burrow itself back into the sand bed. When it was smaller, I think it was just hiding under sea shells. The burrowing is fairly new.
Still searching for an ID on this little one, so if you have any ideas please let me know! @Alexopora any thoughts? See anything like this when you were looking up your mystery crabs?
Alright, will update if I’m able to identify it. BTW what a beautiful crab u have there. It really blends with the rubble.Well, I’m still not sure what kind of crab this little friend is. We did confirm that it’s a “true crab” in that it has four legs. So, it certainly is not a porcelain crab as we had initially suspected.
Over the past two weeks, I have noticed new behavior: the crab will come out for food and then promptly burrow itself back into the sand bed. When it was smaller, I think it was just hiding under sea shells. The burrowing is fairly new.
Still searching for an ID on this little one, so if you have any ideas please let me know! @Alexopora any thoughts? See anything like this when you were looking up your mystery crabs?
It came as a hitchhiker on Gulf live rock, so I at least know the area it is native to. Oddly, it does not appear in the comprehensive Gulf invert guide. That makes me wonder if it’s still in a juvenile form, thus complicating identification. You’d think with the clear patterns on its carapace that it would be easier to identify!
You actually might be onto something. It could be a juvenile. It’s clearly blending in with white sea shells especially crushed shells. It seems to resemble alot of crabs that are called rubble crabs. Definitely isnt a swimmer and doesnt seem to be built to spent time on land.It came as a hitchhiker on Gulf live rock, so I at least know the area it is native to. Oddly, it does not appear in the comprehensive Gulf invert guide. That makes me wonder if it’s still in a juvenile form, thus complicating identification. You’d think with the clear patterns on its carapace that it would be easier to identify!
In that case, I’ll continue to monitor its development and try to identify any clear black tips on the claws. It seems almost all rubble crabs have black-tipped claws, so that should be a dead give away.
Also, judging from the video. Yours is a burrower. Its first instinct it to burrow rather than run to the rockwork. Just some characteristics that may help narrow it down.
gulfspecimen.org
Oh, I think you are really on to something! While the placement of the eyes looks different, the shape of the claws looks really similar!I can't find anything on the juvenile form, but yours holds itself similar to a box crab, and I found the flame streaked box crab as an adult to be spotted, perhaps this is similar?
Body shape similar, legs close to body, claws held close to body, and it's a burrowing crab.
Flame Streaked Box Crab -
Ar-1460 FLAME STREAKED BOX CRAB, Calappa flammea A large, brightly colored burrowing crab that draws water through its gills and is often seen spouting it out of its head like a fountain. It uses its massive scissors-like claws like a can opener to rip open hermit crabs. Each: $30.00 VIDEOS...
