purple crab?

[Anonymous]

Depends on who taught your zoo. in high school. Pincers are counted as legs as well, last pair of legs are called swimmers = 5pair. Horseshoe crabs have 6 pair. How about last pair of walking legs folded. Andy

 

[Anonymous]

Mihai, check out this link to a pic of your crab. Andy

http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showS ... num=SC0022

 

[Mihai]

Mihai, check out this link to a pic of your crab. Andy

http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showS ... num=SC0022

It does look almost like my crab. However, in the description at the link provided they say that the pincers are unequal, while mine has them almost identical (I can't tell them apart).

The goby is still there - no chance in hell to get him out though :-(.
Two emerald crabs are missing in action though - I couldn't even find their shells, so there is a (small) chance that they might still be hidden in the huge (15" across) bunch of cheato... I'll fish them out if I spot them.

I was troubled all day today by the sight of one of my beloved creatures eating another one... I guess it's all natural, but still I was upside down all day.

All the best,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

I know the feeling. I like nice peacefull tanks as well. Good luck. Andy

 

[Mihai]

Update: after molting one more time and getting about 2" across it managed to break a clam that I had in the refugium (3" clam, not photosynthetic, common clam) and ate it all up. I would not be able to break that clam with my hand (or my foot). I'd need a hammer. I decided that I'm not putting my hand in the refugium unless I see where he is.

M.

 

[wade1]

The crab won't do anything more than pinch you. They are masters at opening clam/oyster shells though (they wedge them open slowly). It hurts when a 5" blue crab gets you, but it rarely breaks the skin. I don't imagine a little crab is going to want to fight with you at all.

 

[Mihai]

You're right: it doesn't want to fight me - for now it runs away when I stick the hand in. However, that clam was not open: it was broken. Same with a conch that was in the same refugium: broken shell and snail eaten... I also fed it a clam today and it ripped all meat off the shell immediately - the part that attaches the muscle to the shell is hard to pull off and yet he had no problem ripping it off... If you come by we can try with your finger .

M.

 

[Anonymous]

Pretty scary looking. Just wanted to add that although the porcelain crabs (anomurans) have big looking claws, they're usually pretty thin compared to brachyurans (true crabs). That and the leg thing are the sure fire way to ID them.