LR hitchhiker help

[petecomas]

I found a hitchhiker tonight on some LR I got from a local LFS on Thursday. I wish I was fast enough to get a picture of it, but it crawled back into the rock too quickly. It looked like a dark gray to black color, and to me looked like a beetle of some sort. I looked at pictures of mantis shrimp and it didn't quite look like any of the pictures, thought I guess it cold be one. Since I've read about it, I've noticed random popping/cracking noises. So I thought maybe I have a pistol shrimp? But looking at pictures of those, I wasn't convinced either.

Does anyone konw: Do the two types of shrimp look alike? Are pistol shrimp ever dark gray or black? Also, this critter was about 1 to 2 inches long. Anyone have any idea what that might be?

I've been trying to find it again so I can take a pictures, but it's just really well hidden. I haven't lost any critters that I've noticed. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[petecomas]

I got the sucker. It was a tiny crab, not sure what type. Since it was crawling sideways with it's two claws drawn in, it looked like a 3-segment bug. But I saw it crawling around again and snagged it before it could hide back in the rock. It's so tiny I'm thinking it should be harmless, but I still don't want it nibbling on anything I put in the tank, so I'm afraid it has to go.

 

[noobzy]

Emerald crab?

 

[D1J8Z]

when you find a crab and your not sure if its a good or bad crab, rule of thumb usually is if its hairy its bad if smooth then ok. Either way a sump is a safe place to store it till you can ID it.

 

[basiab]

The only safe crab is a dead one. Lots of people have them and many are 'safe' but they are opportunistic. Even hermit crabs can be a problem. Just be aware that if they are hungry anything goes.

 

[daisy]

Leslie Harris is a specialist on inverts and spoke at a swap last year about crabs among other inverts. Her advice was this - all crabs are opportunists, and even if the crab you are looking at has a reputation for being a vegetarian, it can begin to nibble and then feed voraciously on foods that it is not "supposed" to eat. So as much as I have a "do not kill" philosophy, when I have an unidentified hitchhiking crab, into the sump it goes!

Best of Luck!

tahl