Something in my candy cane coral

[Llg]

I have this candy coral that I have had for over a month. I thought it was putting on a new head when today while feeding fish, a piece of shrimp fell on the coral. I notice two tiny hands come out of that space and start feeding. It was so tiny that I could not get a good picture.

It looked like two crab legs and was moving one and then the other to it's mouth. I have one single blue hermit crab in that tank and it has been in there for the same amount of time as the coral.

Could it really be that I have a baby hermit crab or do I have something more sinister in the tank? I wish I could have gotten a picture of it, but nothing was clear. The two legs were white.

I don't have bristleworms in the tank. I have gotten a few spaghetti worms from a piece of coral and copepods from seeding the tank.

Thanks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A pic or two under white light will be helpful

 

[Llg]

I tried, but could get it. It is so tiny. I pulled the coral out and even tried to entice it with some food, but it went back down the hole

 

[tripdad]

Most likely a barnacle, it will look like the two feeding hands on the front of an anemone crab, sort of.

 

[Llg]

Ok. I waited until lights out and put a camera there. This is what I can see

 

[Llg]

Here is video

 

[ThePurple12]

Hmm, whatever it is it's most likely harmless/commensal. It does look like a hermit crab, but obviously you would know best as you can see it in person.

I would leave it, seems pretty cool!

 

[Llg]

Will that crab kill the coral? It looks like it is eating in there and I just noticed the hole this morning, but it is definitely more noticeable tonight.

I am going to try to put a tiny shell on the coral for the night and see if it relocates.

I am worried as it has taken me 6 weeks to get that coral back to health from when I bought it. Yesterday was the first day all 3 heads were puffed out. Now tonight, only the one that this guy isn't near.

I don't mind keeping it, I just need it relocated. I actually had another crab on order. My only other option is to cut that head off and try to remove him manually if it doesn't relocate.

I just didn't think a hermit would lay eggs this long after being in the tank by itself.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

It is most likely some form of commensal coral crab, there are several species like it and most of them are harmless to the corals.

 

[ThePurple12]

I agree, it's a species of hermit crab that's adapted to live in corals. It probably won't move into a shell.

Don't worry about it reproducing. The larvae wouldn't survive anyway

 

[Llg]

Thank you

 

[king aiptasia]

you have a gall crab of some species, they induce the coral to make a stony home for them and rely on the living coral to house and often feed them. Because they need a living host to stay alive and grow a home for them, they tend not to hurt the coral

 

[king aiptasia]

the males are usually seen as free wandering animals but the females like you have here never leave the burrow, an interesting specimen