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What is my deco crab wearing?


CoralWhisperer

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CoralWhisperer

Just picked this cool creature up, I already gotta thread about deco crabs in the invert section . . .

 

What kinda nem is this little guy wearing?

It has very little color(but that could be from being shipped and at the LFS) but it did gobble a chunk of scallop last night.

My pics arent very closeup, but my cam wont focus any closer, I think it can be seen fairly well tho . . .

 

babydecocrab004.jpg

babydecocrab003-1.jpg

babydecocrab002-1.jpg

 

As it is eating, and just after...

babydecocrab005.jpg

babydecocrab006-1.jpg

 

Under daylight...

babydecocrab008.jpg

 

 

It really doesnt look like an aptasia to me, but I guess it could be.

I never seen aptasia with such a think trunk/base.

The head also doesnt look like any aptasia I seen.

 

It is roughly the size of a large zoa or a paly polyp, but it does not act like either when it eats, when I fed it it had a similar response like my rbta.

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CoralWhisperer
That's awesome.

Lol, thanks, I think so too!

 

 

Its a hermit crab anemone. We used to have some. From what I remember they don't sting or reproduce quickly. Enjoy.

Nailed it!!!

Well kinda . . .

Googled "hermit crab and anemone" and clicked this page . . .

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=...13&aid=2106

 

Then googled Calliactis polypus, and clicked images . . .

http://www.google.com/images?q=calliactis+...024&bih=570

 

The entire top row of pics looks very similar to what I got here, tho a bit more color should tell for sure!

Thanks for the lead!

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this is the one arwndsh posted, it is worth checking out, you will be able to tell because you can see the oral disk:

http://www.whitney.ufl.edu/species/tri-colo.htm

not all have a pink oral disk, i have one that was orange at first and now is reddish. they grow to a good size.

 

the algae is a botryocladia species, if it grows from what the crab clipped you will be able to tell the species, if it just withers it would be too difficult to figure out which one, but at least you got the genus.

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CoralWhisperer

Thanks John, heard alot of good things about you!

Im sure we found the genus, tho the species might not be recognizable till it gets some color back.

As of right now, mine has just that bit of color on the base, the rest is all bleached out.

 

I think all the creatures and different symbiotic relationships is my favorite part of this hobby.

My other deco crab is wearing fabric, and doesnt look nearly 1/4 as cool as this one does with all its sponges and the nem, and even some red grape algae!

 

Thanks for the second opinion!!

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CoralWhisperer

taken from johns link . . .

Recognition characteristics

 

* Two siphonoglyphs

* Acontia present

* Commonly attached to shells containing hermit crabs

* Tan-brown colored, commonly with several darker longitudinal stripes

* Tentacles "barred" with "mouth" opening violet colored

 

Everything sounds right on track with what I see, except for oral disk color as this one has no clor right now.

But the tentacles ARE barred.

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  • 1 year later...

It looks like a Calliactis tricolor hermit crab anemone.

 

Can you get a better pic of it? Or maybe take a look at my post or below and see if yours look like mine.

 

Someone said they dont sting. They will but only their predators or my dog at the beach. They are native to the east coast of florida. I would still wear gloves just incase. I've looked online and couldnt find much info.. Basically they ride on the back of hermit crabs and anemone carrying crabs and they act as camo for the crab and when the crab eats the anemone gets what the crab dont. What are you feeding yours?

 

post-73803-1334335833_thumb.jpg

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