What kind of crab?

[tilly]

Hello,
I found a crab in my tank the other day that I've never seen before...and have not seen again.
His main body is beige/cream colored with a few splotches (NOT dots) of purple...the color of coralline algea. His front claws are large with mostly purple color. His back legs have of bands of darker purple and pink. He has white hairs or maybe "spikes" on those front claws.
He does not really look like a porcelain crab...they have definite dots of purple.
Any ideas?

 

[davelin315]

No idea, can you post a picture? By the way, it's always a possibility that if it is a very slow growing and slow moving crab, it could be coralline algae growing on his carapace.

Thought of a guess, does it fold up into a little oblong ball shape? Maybe it's a shamefaced crab (don't know the scientific name, but sounds similar)?

[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]

 

[tilly]

Davelin,
I haven't had much luck posting pics here. I emailed them to you instead. They are not very good pictures unfortunately.
Thanks! Hope you can make something out...
Tilly