Tamberav Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Weird little crab at the LFS. I don't think it is for sale... Probably a hitch hiker! What is it? He has a little weird skull... I might email and ask if I can have him. 2 2 Quote Link to comment
Tired Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Oh wow. Get him! He looks tiny, I'm sure you could stash him somewhere pretty easily. Heck, one of those breeder boxes would work for awhile. Doesn't look like it'd be terribly predatory, either. Does it have eggs in its tail-pouch dealie? Not sure what it's called when they carry the eggs around on their tail. 2 Quote Link to comment
WV Reefer Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 56 minutes ago, Tamberav said: Weird little crab at the LFS. I don't think it is for sale... Probably a hitch hiker! What is it? He has a little weird skull... I might email and ask if I can have him. Soooo cute!! 😃 2 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 16 minutes ago, Tired said: Oh wow. Get him! He looks tiny, I'm sure you could stash him somewhere pretty easily. Heck, one of those breeder boxes would work for awhile. Doesn't look like it'd be terribly predatory, either. Does it have eggs in its tail-pouch dealie? Not sure what it's called when they carry the eggs around on their tail. I am not sure if there eggs. He/she would not turn around for me. Kept showing me its butt and weird head lol... I will ask if I can have him. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 It's very different looking. It looks like it has a brain on its shell. Lol 3 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 Well they said I could have it. So tomorrow I will go grab him so he can run around in my fuge looking weird. 6 Quote Link to comment
Xanthine Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Eee!! I think it looks like a type of coral/invert burrowing pea crab. (𝑷𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔 sp. maybe?) I'd stay far away until getting clear ID. Even if in your fuge, if it has eggs.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 41 minutes ago, Xanthine said: Eee!! I think it looks like a type of coral/invert burrowing pea crab. (𝑷𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔 sp. maybe?) I'd stay far away until getting clear ID. Even if in your fuge, if it has eggs.... I will check its underside. I am not too afraid of hitchikers tbh.... my wrasses would probably destroy it if they could. I will put it in my 10g conditioning tank that has live rock and macro for observation for now if you think it could somehow infect the display. 4 Quote Link to comment
Tired Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 The eggs won't make it. Crabs have planktonic larvae, which will either get mauled by your pumps, eaten by your critters, or both. If it is carrying eggs, it's carrying snacks. 4 1 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, Tired said: The eggs won't make it. Crabs have planktonic larvae, which will either get mauled by your pumps, eaten by your critters, or both. If it is carrying eggs, it's carrying snacks. 1 7 Quote Link to comment
MoJal Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 No idea, but it looks neat. We'll be needing more pics. 2 Quote Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Ummm, this is not exactly what it seems. It's actually the juvenile form of the infamous 'Brain bug' from Starship Troopers! House it at your own peril! 😉 Seriously, that is a cool little crab. What it really is, I have no idea. 5 1 Quote Link to comment
Xanthine Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 I had a bad nightmare experience with a female gall crab and 5 million eggs in one of my first ever corals so I'm a bit gun-shy of all crabs now, lol But - from what I've now read on various parasitic pea crabs (I'm now far down the research rabbit hole, lol) - as long as you don't have bivalves/clams, you're probably fine. Taxonomic identification keys are legit my favorite aspect of biology, but I couldn't find much info on these guys. I'm so curious on the species on this little one - I hope someone can ID it soon. 2 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 Just hitchiker clams that are in the DT. I would love other clams but plan on an angel and butterfly so that's a no go regardless. 2 Quote Link to comment
Tired Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 You had a problem with a gall crab? I thought those were harmless. Don't they kinda just sit in there? I'd be very skeptical that any babies were actually born in a tank and survived, since, again, I'm fairly sure all crab larvae are planktonic. Plankton doesn't live long in all but the most specialized systems. If you had new babies showing up, probably they'd already been born and were coming out of hiding. 1 Quote Link to comment
Xanthine Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 37 minutes ago, Tired said: You had a problem with a gall crab? I thought those were harmless. Don't they kinda just sit in there? I'd be very skeptical that any babies were actually born in a tank and survived, since, again, I'm fairly sure all crab larvae are planktonic. Plankton doesn't live long in all but the most specialized systems. If you had new babies showing up, probably they'd already been born and were coming out of hiding. It was eating up my candy cane coral to live in. (edit: but my problem was more psychological than actual harm, lol) There's a lot of conflicting information about gall crabs actually (like everything in reefing, haha). Interestingly, I've learned not all crab larvae are strictly planktonic - there are also ones that live off their yolk! Lecithotrophic! (Parasitic Crustacea: State of Knowledge and Future Trends edited by Nico J. Smit, Niel L. Bruce, Kerry A. Hadfield) 2 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 Lots of weirdos on this forum who like strange inverts 😄 1 3 Quote Link to comment
Xanthine Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 @Tamberav I really hope you get this guy now - or at least get a pic of his face to help with ID lol I'm now thinking that he actually is just having a bad molt and that isn't an actual part of his carapace. For any other crazy ppl interested - I found some really good sites regarding crab id - this one has amazing pictures and information, and I love the categorization on the main page based on shape: https://www.crabdatabase.info/en This one too: http://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/TaxBrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=336 And this one for helping with crustacean specific morphological definitions to help with id : https://crustacea.academic.ru/ (Also did you know this was in the sponsor forum? I'm thinking maybe it was meant for identification forum instead?) 2 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 I do know it is a sponsor forum... But I also know @johnmaloney might know what it is since he seems to like strange inverts. I don't think it is a bad molt. It is very uniform. He moves very slow but seems fine. I think they had a flame scallop in the tank with him at one point so maybe a pea crab that feeds on those? Here are the photos.. LFS employees thought I was a bit strange wanting a pest crab but I told them we got a forum of weirdos trying to figure out what it is.. 😋 Besides... Isn't that what we love about the ocean... Endless discoveries! 6 1 Quote Link to comment
Xanthine Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 I think I figured it out. Very close to Durckheimia caeca - or perhaps a currently unidentified similar species... Free article here: https://academic.oup.com/jcb/article/25/1/116/2670511 Review of Durckheimia and Xanthasia, with Descriptions of Two New Genera (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) 3 Quote Link to comment
Xanthine Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, Tamberav said: I think they had a flame scallop in the tank with him at one point so maybe a pea crab that feeds on those? A CLUE! http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f18/crab-ate-electric-flame-scallop-238434.html And wooohoo someone else suggested Durckheimia on that forum too. My parents will be happy to hear my degree had value today. 3 2 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 Good job! You are right 🙂 I am guessing the scallop died as they do often in aquaria and this guy was left homeless. 4 Quote Link to comment
johnmaloney Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Cool crab! 3 Quote Link to comment
kimberbee Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Kinda looks like butt head. 🤷♀️ 3 1 Quote Link to comment
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