Jump to content
inTank Media Baskets

The Rose Porcelain Crab


johnmaloney

Recommended Posts

johnmaloney

This is Megalobrachium roseum, or the Rose Porcelain Crab. They grow to about an inch across but this particular specimen is about 7mm from end to end and probably 1mm tall tops. 

 

Species in the Megalobrachium family have more developed and beefier arms than most species in the Porcellanidae family, with a build similar to the anemone dwelling porcelain crabs of the Neopetrolisthes genus. However, these guys don’t live in anemones, or at least I didn’t find them in one, and they are not known for it. 

 

They are unlikely to drop their claws when handled relative to Green Porcelain Crabs. (Petrolisthes armatus) They are reef reef safe and docile. While those claws are used to maintain boundaries, they seem to be just fine with other species of porcelain crabs in very close proximity. The claws are not used for eating. To eat they use pereiopods which are basically those weird alien arms that come out from the face of shrimp and other decapods when they are eating. Because the front pereiopods are hooked the are called chelipeds, the rear pair (closest to the back of the crab but still on the front abdomen) is used for cleaning the crab. Those "hairs" on its arms and legs are called setae, and likely aid in catching food particles. 

 

Like other Porcelain crabs, this species is not a true crab. Porcelain crabs evolved from squat lobsters to resemble true crabs, but they are not related accept that they are both decapods. The big difference that has biologists all excited is that Porcelain Crabs have 3 apparent pairs of walking legs, (perieiopods aren't counted here), while true crabs have 4 pairs. 

 

BBE643D9-7AD4-4985-AFD8-39AB350E52C2.jpeg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
3 hours ago, johnmaloney said:

This is Megalobrachium roseum, or the Rose Porcelain Crab. They grow to about an inch across but this particular specimen is about 7mm from end to end and probably 1mm tall tops. 

 

Species in the Megalobrachium family have more developed and beefier arms than most species in the Porcellanidae family, with a build similar to the anemone dwelling porcelain crabs of the Neopetrolisthes genus. However, these guys don’t live in anemones, or at least I didn’t find them in one, and they are not known for it. 

 

They are unlikely to drop their claws when handled relative to Green Porcelain Crabs. (Petrolisthes armatus) They are reef reef safe and docile. While those claws are used to maintain boundaries, they seem to be just fine with other species of porcelain crabs in very close proximity. The claws are not used for eating. To eat they use pereiopods which are basically those weird alien arms that come out from the face of shrimp and other decapods when they are eating. Because the front pereiopods are hooked the are called chelipeds, the rear pair (closest to the back of the crab but still on the front abdomen) is used for cleaning the crab. Those "hairs" on its arms and legs are called setae, and likely aid in catching food particles. 

 

Like other Porcelain crabs, this species is not a true crab. Porcelain crabs evolved from squat lobsters to resemble true crabs, but they are not related accept that they are both decapods. The big difference that has biologists all excited is that Porcelain Crabs have 3 apparent pairs of walking legs, (perieiopods aren't counted here), while true crabs have 4 pairs. 

 

BBE643D9-7AD4-4985-AFD8-39AB350E52C2.jpeg

When will it be on the site?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
johnmaloney

I will put a listing up later for assorted porcelain crabs, just leave me a note and he is yours. May be an up in the air shipping day thing though, I let these small crabs run around in a big tank with lots of algae as you would expect someone who likes to lose things to do. 🙂 I have more small crabs too I have to post them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, johnmaloney said:

I will put a listing up later for assorted porcelain crabs, just leave me a note and he is yours. May be an up in the air shipping day thing though, I let these small crabs run around in a big tank with lots of algae as you would expect someone who likes to lose things to do. 🙂 I have more small crabs too I have to post them. Did you know there are micro Mithrax crabs too? I will post one soon and his back story. Just got to catch up on some emails, been on the water today. First real day back since a shoulder injury. 

Okay, I got some pico tanks that need some cool inverts and other things. What happened with your shoulder?

Link to comment
johnmaloney
11 minutes ago, Northwoodsreefer said:

Okay, I got some pico tanks that need some cool inverts and other things. What happened with your shoulder?

Minor rotator cuff tear, just haven't had full range of motion with an overhead stroke, that is back now but not as fast as normal and that is against air resistance. Staying in areas where I can get by with just my fins for the mean time.

Link to comment
3 minutes ago, johnmaloney said:

Minor rotator cuff tear, just haven't had full range of motion with an overhead stroke, that is back now but not as fast as normal and that is against air resistance. Staying in areas where I can get by with just my fins for the mean time.

Dang, hope it gets better!

Link to comment
johnmaloney
On 7/24/2019 at 6:40 PM, Northwoodsreefer said:

Dang, hope it gets better!

Thank you, it is on its way pretty quickly. Some barracudas were circling me today, being curious. I did start thinking to myself "do they know I am slow today?" As if I could ever out run them, even with four arms. 😂

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
21 hours ago, johnmaloney said:

I don't know if he is at a size someone would be happy to have paid for.

 

12 hours ago, johnmaloney said:

I will put a listing up later for assorted porcelain crabs, just leave me a note and he is yours. May be an up in the air shipping day thing though, I let these small crabs run around in a big tank with lots of algae as you would expect someone who likes to lose things to do. 🙂 I have more small crabs too I have to post them.

 

Big tankers might be unhappy but this is nano-reef! Lots of picos and nano's need some oddballs. 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 10 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...