Mysterious crab found at night ID???

[crazyfishmom]

Oh man, those are huge! I just saw one the other night on my other rock structure, guess that's the next crab I gotta hunt down. What size fish did eat end up eating?

My poor Lubbock’s wrasse (sand sleeper). I woke up one morning and he was still in his sleep cocoon. He looked really stressed out. I was able to coax him out to eat and saw a huge gash on his side. I wondered over and over what could have caused it and then that night I saw the large crab try to hurt the wrasse again while in his cocoon. I was able to scare the crab away but wasn’t able to catch him. The wrasse took a turn for the worse and despite trying to treat him with antibiotics in a hospital tank did not make it. Within a few months I lost all my sand sleepers including my dusky and melanurus. Those two just disappeared despite having been in the tank for months and super healthy. I can’t say for certain but I think he was to blame. The Lubbock’s was about 5 inches, the dusky was 4.5 and the melanurus was 3.

 

[Herbie's Reef]

My poor Lubbock’s wrasse (sand sleeper). I woke up one morning and he was still in his sleep cocoon. He looked really stressed out. I was able to coax him out to eat and saw a huge gash on his side. I wondered over and over what could have caused it and then that night I saw the large crab try to hurt the wrasse again while in his cocoon. I was able to scare the crab away but wasn’t able to catch him. The wrasse took a turn for the worse and despite trying to treat him with antibiotics in a hospital tank did not make it. Within a few months I lost all my sand sleepers including my dusky and melanurus. Those two just disappeared despite having been in the tank for months and super healthy. I can’t say for certain but I think he was to blame. The Lubbock’s was about 5 inches, the dusky was 4.5 and the melanurus was 3.

Oh dang, I didn't think it would take out a fish as bulky as a wrasse. Sorry to hear about your losses, I think this made me worry a little more about my stone crab. Gonna go all out for him over the next few nights.

 

[crazyfishmom]

My poor Lubbock’s wrasse (sand sleeper). I woke up one morning and he was still in his sleep cocoon. He looked really stressed out. I was able to coax him out to eat and saw a huge gash on his side. I wondered over and over what could have caused it and then that night I saw the large crab try to hurt the wrasse again while in his cocoon. I was able to scare the crab away but wasn’t able to catch him. The wrasse took a turn for the worse and despite trying to treat him with antibiotics in a hospital tank did not make it. Within a few months I lost all my sand sleepers including my dusky and melanurus. Those two just disappeared despite having been in the tank for months and super healthy. I can’t say for certain but I think he was to blame. The Lubbock’s was about 5 inches, the dusky was 4.5 and the melanurus was 3.

I doubt the little one would be able to cause as much damage as this guy was but the big one had giant claws. I really encourage you to catch him before he has a chance to grow and cause issues. I am constantly on the lookout now. I know I have one other stone crab and I think there’s a gorilla too. Working my way through them as I am able to.

It’s very possible that my wrasses were sick. I really don’t think they were though. I have so many other fishes in the tank and other wrasses too and only the sand sleepers had this happen.