Another Crab

[foxstop]

Found this guy hiding under a colony of Pocilopora.

I haven't been able to identify it nor been able to determine if it's harmful or helpful. Any ideas?

Thanks.

Brian

 

[HClH2OFish]

Can't really tell too much from that pic, but I don't see the 'extra' two legs up front that most 'friendly' crabs have. Or do I have that backward?

I'd just toss him in my sump

 

[wade1]

Was it actually in the coral or just near it?

 

[foxstop]

Thanks.
It's residing in my sump/fuge for now.

Brian

 

[foxstop]

It was near the base of the colony. I saw the claws picking at the rocks next to it.

Brian

 

[wade1]

Probably just as well to have migrated it to the sump then... there are many little crabs that live in the corals that are beneficial, but I have never seen them feeding off of the coral itself.

Wade

 

[foxstop]

Thanks. I've had a number of bad crabs. Most of them hitchin in with acro colonies. At times it's very hard to spot them and even Lugols dipping and having the colony out of the water for a moment doesn't chase them out.

Brian

 

[wade1]

If they are in the colony, they are not bad crabs.... keep in mind that some crabs, depending on their natural host, look furry, or fuzzy, or like many of the bad crabs. The crabs that live in the acros are usually VERY beneficial to the coral. They chase off predators and eat pests (like the red acro bugs)... I would never recommend removing them.

Wade