Tiny pink crab

[clarity]

Finding hitchhikers (benign ones especially) is actually one of my favorite things about reef-keeping! And today I noticed a new friend in my 1.5 gallon that I most definitely did not add. It’s a beautiful little crab, but not particularly active— I’ve never actually seen it move, just sort of reappear in different locations around the rockwork. But it’s a beautiful animal. I was wondering if anyone had ever seen a crab like this before— what it may be called, what it likes to eat, etc.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

looks like a porcelain crab

 

[eliaslikesfish]

get a bubble tip anemone!!!

 

[clarity]

looks like a porcelain crab

It has fuzzy claws though.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Finding hitchhikers (benign ones especially) is actually one of my favorite things about reef-keeping! And today I noticed a new friend in my 1.5 gallon that I most definitely did not add. It’s a beautiful little crab, but not particularly active— I’ve never actually seen it move, just sort of reappear in different locations around the rockwork. But it’s a beautiful animal. I was wondering if anyone had ever seen a crab like this before— what it may be called, what it likes to eat, etc.

You may need to pull the crab out into a container of tank water for some clearer pics (straight-on pics of the top and of the face/claws are helpful with crabs).


To tell if it's a porcelain crab or not:

Porcelain crabs have three pairs of walking legs, two large claws, and a pair of "windshield wiper" legs under their body; true crabs have four pairs of walking legs, two claws, and no "windshield wipers."

 

[clarity]

You may need to pull the crab out into a container of tank water for some clearer pics (straight-on pics of the top and of the face/claws are helpful with crabs).


To tell if it's a porcelain crab or not:

Porcelain crabs have three pairs of walking legs, two large claws, and a pair of "windshield wiper" legs under their body; true crabs have four pairs of walking legs, two claws, and no "windshield wipers."

Fantastic, thank you! Unfortunately I had a crash after my ac went out and the baby nassarius got to it before i did, so the mystery remains unsolved. But I’ll remember this for the future!

 

[shcrimps]

nice crab
rip
sucks it didn’t survive