jimmy44 Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 This Little guy came with some Lr ("Fiji") Its shell is Orange/red/purple and his belly is black. Its missing a claw on one side, and a leg on the other side. It comes out to scavenge now and then. Any IDeas?? Reef safe??? Link to comment
jimmy44 Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 heres another shot Link to comment
sjpresley Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Oddly enough, it looks a lot like a fiddler crab (Uca sp.), Does it seem to try to climb out of the tank? These guys are amphibious and need to be able to leave the water. They will eat almost anything, except corals. Link to comment
Inpha Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Well for one.... fiddler crabs arn't usually solid red... they usually have some white coloration. Also fiddlers probably would not be around where they were collecting LR... they stay either on or very close to shore.... no idea what kind of crab it is... but not a fiddler imo Link to comment
sjpresley Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Well, some species are actually all red... and... where do you think they collect LR? Out on a reef? NO. Most LR is rubble collected on/near the shore after being broken loose by storms and wave action, what have you. There are very few (if any) places that allow anyone to just dive on out and start cutting up the reef. Why do think so many corals come with almost no rock attached? There is a really good section in either Borneman's corals book or in the Conscientious Aquarist on LR and coral collection and current methods that are sustainable while not harming actual reef inhabitants. Link to comment
Inpha Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 I know LR is not collected directly from the reef.. however in most cases... like in a mangrove biotope the crabs would most likely never venture past the mangroves. LR is collected from rubble zones... on either side of the reef... in either direction it would most likely be deeper than fiddler crabs would venture. Also take in to consideration that the remaining claw is not large enough to be the bigger claw, nor little enough to be the small claw, its somewhere in between. Link to comment
sjpresley Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 All fiddler crabs do not have the one big, one small claw phenomenon, entire genera fail to exhibit this character. I have attached a photo from Sprung's Invertebrates quick reference book, pg. 152, Fiddgler crabs, Uga sp.: here is a red individual, 2 normal sized claws, eyes on long stalks...seems VERY similar to Jimmy44's crab. Link to comment
Inpha Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Your picture did not show up... however I do have the book... now that I think about it I would have to agree with you... mainly because of the eye stalks.... it still dosn't answer the collection issue.... Link to comment
jimmy44 Posted January 28, 2003 Author Share Posted January 28, 2003 yes it seems like a match, the seem to have a lower profile than my crab tho. Link to comment
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