Worried About Trapezia Crab

[BloopFish]

I recently bought a Trapezia rufopunctata. From my research, their preferred coral seems to be Pocillopora - that's my assumption because all the photos of them in the wild are of them in Pocillopora. I currently only have a Pocillopora recovering from STN, but I do have a Stylophora mini colony that's around 3" and multibranching. For a couple days the Trapezia crab was hanging out inside the Stylophora - but today it decided to move away from it and hide between some rocks. I don't have any other branching SPS that it could host, should I be worried?

 

[najer]

I recently bought a Trapezia rufopunctata. From my research, their preferred coral seems to be Pocillopora - that's my assumption because all the photos of them in the wild are of them in Pocillopora. I currently only have a Pocillopora recovering from STN, but I do have a Stylophora mini colony that's around 3" and multibranching. For a couple days the Trapezia crab was hanging out inside the Stylophora - but today it decided to move away from it and hide between some rocks. I don't have any other branching SPS that it could host, should I be worried?

I just did some reading and feeding it could be an issue, see if it goes back to either coral, good luck, gorgeous crab.

 

[BloopFish]

I just did some reading and feeding it could be an issue, see if it goes back to either coral, good luck, gorgeous crab.

Fingers crossed, I'll be pretty sad if it starved to death. It was meant to be kind of like a centerpiece to my tank - to me at least. It still hasn't went back to either corals.

I have read people saying they supplement the diets of the crab with fish food - but it doesn't seem interested at all in them (tried all sorts of seafood). It's diet mainly consists of coral mucus... which it can't get if it's not on a coral. Perhaps its trying to find another coral to host? The Stylophora is new, but it is visibly healthy... not sure why its disatisfied.

 

[BloopFish]

Promising update. I tried feeding it again and it grabbed a chunky piece of shrimp. Included is also a picture of the coral. Sorry for the dirty glass

 

[BloopFish]

I have a good feeling it is eating. From videos I watched of them in the wild, they seem to eat chunks of the crown of thorn starfish that they attack in order to defend their coral - hopefully this means meaty foods are acceptable nutrients. I have read people claiming they are obligatory coral symbionts - but if they can eat meaty foods, what stops them from living without their coral?

 

[BloopFish]

Decided I should have this updated because there aren't much information about Trapezia crabs out there. I managed to make it except pellets, but it highly prefers chopped frozen food. Everyone goes crazy for the chopped seafood blend. It seems relatively bad at foraging though. It still has not gone back to the Stylophora!

I'm still stumped on why people say it requires a coral to host, if it eats enough food I don't see why the crab would die if it gets enough nutrients. Does the coral provide certain essential compounds required for its survival? Does the crab stress out and die if it has no host? I'm pretty lost in trying to figure it out. I do know from the research papers I've read, many researches THINK the Trapezia crab is obligated to live on its host coral because they don't ever find them outside of corals. However, I don't think this necessarily means they 100% require their host for survival in a marine aquaria environment. Yes, symbiotic relationships come in varying degrees of frequency and strength in the wild, but many if the symbiotic organisms in the marine aquaria don't require hosts. Clownfishes, sexy shrimps, various of anemone shrimps, anemone porcelain crabs, so I'm not sure if it is required in this case either. Regardless, I would really appreciate if this crab would appreciate the coral home I got for it.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I don’t know anything about that crab, but I have porcelain crabs living without a nem, Sexy shrimp live on the rocks, and a bare bottom for my wrasses. (They just go down to the bottom and lay on their side, looks sad but they seem fine.)

 

[BloopFish]

I don’t know anything about that crab, but I have porcelain crabs living without a nem, Sexy shrimp live on the rocks, and a bare bottom for my wrasses. (They just go down to the bottom and lay on their side, looks sad but they seem fine.)

I also have anemone porcelain crabs and have kept sexy shrimps without anemones. Wording may have been bad, but I was trying to say they are common symbiotic inverts kept without a host.

 

[Sosuke]

I also have anemone porcelain crabs and have kept sexy shrimps without anemones. Wording may have been bad, but I was trying to say they are common symbiotic inverts kept without a host.

Is that trapezia crab from LA's diver den? Also the Stylophora colony's branches might not be big enough for the crab to feel safe in it.

 

[BloopFish]

Is that trapezia crab from LA's diver den?

Yes, pretty steep price tbh. Decided to get it with 15% of coupon. He's so tiny and I rarely see him in my 13.5g, not sure if I'd recommend unless your a crabhead.

 

[Sosuke]

Yes, pretty steep price tbh. Decided to get it with 15% of coupon. He's so tiny and I rarely see him in my 13.5g, not sure if I'd recommend unless your a crabhead.

I thought it was! I also got one in a pink pocillipora but rarely see it. How recently did you get him?

 

[BloopFish]

I thought it was! I also got one in a pink pocillipora but rarely see it. How recently did you get him?

You got it as a hitchhiker or you got a pocillo for it? Does it live in the pocillo? I got hime exactly 7 days ago.

 

[BloopFish]

I have two purple velvet crabs, Liomera rugata, and they are very cryptic in the wild (they hide under rocks). I see those almost as often as the trapezia crab

 

[Sosuke]

You got it as a hitchhiker or you got a pocillo for it? Does it live in the pocillo? I got hime exactly 7 days ago.

I got mine from LA too looks exactly like yours I got him for a pocillo and when I first got him he didn't care about it for a couple of days and even lost a claw but he eventually made his home in the pocillo. Do you have any other small Acro colonies?

 

[Sosuke]

I have two purple velvet crabs, Liomera rugata, and they are very cryptic in the wild (they hide under rocks). I see those almost as often as the trapezia crab

Super pretty crabs!!

 

[Neoalchemist]

Sounds like a good excuse to go coral shopping.
Fwiw, I think it will be fine as long as its fed.

 

[BloopFish]

I got mine from LA too looks exactly like yours I got him for a pocillo and when I first got him he didn't care about it for a couple of days and even lost a claw but he eventually made his home in the pocillo. Do you have any other small Acro colonies?

My pocillo is still STN'ing. I have a Walt Disney (which survived all of my crashes so far, which is ironic) thats like 1 inches... and has nice polyp extension, but no other SPS. I was thinking about buying a Pocillo for it though...

 

[BloopFish]

Sounds like a good excuse to go coral shopping.
Fwiw, I think it will be fine as long as its fed.

Lol I bought the birdsnest colony recently because I thought it would host it.

 

[Sosuke]

My pocillo is still STN'ing. I have a Walt Disney (which survived all of my crashes so far, which is ironic) thats like 1 inches... and has nice polyp extension, but no other SPS. I was thinking about buying a Pocillo for it though...

The crabs like a mini colony or bigger or else they will just ignore it or annoy the coral.

 

[Sosuke]

Lol I bought the birdsnest colony recently because I thought it would host it.

not his taste I guess lol!