Clepto pom pom crab tried to steal my coral

[Toxic enigma]

Today when I woke up I found my rose birdsnest coral had been knocked off the rock where I had placed it, it had also broken off the plug in the fall. 

  Thinking that a hermit crab had knocked it off, I used some epoxy to try and stick it back where I had it.

        twenty minutes latter I went to check on it before leaving for work to see my pom pom crab walk up and grab the coral and try to drag it, before dropping it. I tried to get a pic but he dropped it before I could.

  Do they usually do this ? Or is this a strange occuance ? 

[Snow_Phoenix]

They've been known to steal coral polyps as their *pom poms, but this is the first time I'm hearing of one actively going after a piece of SPS. They're usually quite docile.

[straydog]

Emerald crabs are usually the ones I've had trouble with moving things around  (at least the ones that I have blamed ) I'll have to watch more closely now to make sure I have the correct culprit in the future. 

[Toxic enigma]

3 hours ago, straydog said:

Emerald crabs are usually the ones I've had trouble with moving things around  (at least the ones that I have blamed ) I'll have to watch more closely now to make sure I have the correct culprit in the future. 

Yeah, I've had a few other corals end up on the sand bed that I thought were knocked over by hermits but now I wonder if it was.

[Sissy]

My pompom is an extremely peaceful resident and doesn't bother anything at all. She still has her pompoms after a year and a half though, so maybe she's not inclined to abscond with any other hostage tankmates?

[Toxic enigma]

11 hours ago, Sarah Ann said:

My pompom is an extremely peaceful resident and doesn't bother anything at all. She still has her pompoms after a year and a half though, so maybe she's not inclined to abscond with any other hostage tankmates?

That might be, mine doesn't appear to have any. Still seems odd that it would go after SPS and LPS rather than the zoas, mushrooms, GSP or colt though.