Hitchhiker crab (big pic)

[Anonymous]

Ok so coming back from the local club event with $45 worth of gift cards I won, I decided to get a nice millepora colony (currently in detox.. aka TMPCC dipping). Well before I put it there I notice a crab... OOOH AN ACROCRAB!!!! Wait.. there's another.. that doesn't look anything like an acrocrab.... infact it has all those warning signs... Hairy... black tipped claws... large claws that look more than simply algae picking.. so I'm wondering how bad these crabs are.

They are not going into my main tank that's for damn sure! However I do feel a little bad about just chucking them in the garbage disposal (I don't know anyone with a mantis or octopus nearby) Anyways, i wonder if they'd do any damage in my sump? I have a bunch of rock in it and detrius tends to settle there as well as uneatten food (mysis mostly) , could they potentially be a good scavenger? I know they couldn't survive a trip out, but whynot?

Here's the picture.

 

[Anonymous]

Family: Xanthidae (Black-Fingered Crab)
Genus: Cymo
This is a completely reef-safe coral crab.
Don't remove it.

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[Anonymous]

Wow where'd you find this info out?

I banished the pair to my pre-sump sump, where they can chew on detrius etc, looks a little scary for me to want them in the main tank.

 

[trido]

pre-sump sump.

Im confused. :? And I thought I had an intricate plumbing system.
I wouldnt want a crab THAT big in my display either. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I can fix that problem with a lil hot water and some butter

 

[Anonymous]

Wow where'd you find this info out?

Years of experience. :wink:
You like most people see a crab and immediately assume the worst. These crabs feed off of coral mucus and live in association with the corals.
Do a Google™ search on Cymo sp. or Cymo spp.

I banished the pair to my pre-sump sump, where they can chew on detrius etc, looks a little scary for me to want them in the main tank.

They'd be better off with the corals.

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[CG1]

Hey - its been years since I put in live rock (from florida) and had one of those crabs. It was constantly eatting my corals, its been about 9 years or so but I ended up pulling over 300 pounds of live rock out of my tank before i was able to capture it. All I can say is that picture looks a whole lot like it (we use to call it the "hairy crab" ) I am sure David knows what he's talking about - all I am saying is that it looks a lot like what was a proverbial thorn in my side that culminated with a back breaking nightmare that I hadn't thought of in a long time until viewing that picture !