Re: Stone Crabs! Follow-up 7/19/07
<Hi again, Bridget! Lynn here.>
Well I found some pictures here http://www.okeefes.org/Crabs/crab%20photos%20and%20scans.htm and this guy <(Pilumnus sayi)> is definitely what I have and not the stone crabs <(Menippe mercenaria)> *Pilumnus sayi*
<Thanks! Pilumnus sayi, sometimes called the hairy mud crab, or spineback hairy crab, has those same robust claws as the yummy stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria) but with lots of bristles! Unfortunately, it’s still a xanthid and potential trouble down the road for a mixed reef tank.>
Hubby is being a grump and not wanting to remove these guys.
<I can understand that. As much trouble as they can cause for the other inhabitants of your tank, they’re still neat little creatures! Why not set up a separate tank for them? It’s a win-win!>
Myself, I'm more than concerned about the quantity and I'm wondering if they might be reproducing or if they just came in with the live rock.
<Almost guaranteed that they came in with the rock. The juvenile stages of crabs have a next to nil chance of surviving in the average tank.>
I don't see these guys. They're professional hiders, <Yes indeed!> I'm only finding dead bodies.
<Of snails, etc, or the crabs themselves? If it’s snails, etc, that’s not too surprising. If it’s crab bodies, they could just be the shed shells from when they molt.>
Which makes me more concerned about anyone else in the tank.
<Understandable either way!>
Tank is a 75 reef established 3 years, new live rock with oysters 6 months ago.
<Sounds like a nice tank to me!>
Thank you for your time.
Bridget
<You’re most welcome, Bridget. I’d try to trap these guys (see previous link on this) and set them up in a tank of their own. Good luck! -Lynn >
 

CRAB ID... Yum!   7/16/07 Good Morning, <And to you! Mich here.> This is my first question for the Crew; however you forum has saved me hundreds of dollars and too numerous hours with the information posted on you website. <Very good to hear!> I am trying to ID a crab in my tank. He was in a deep hole in a piece of LR and he only came out at night. He finally got too big for the hole and I managed to get he cornered in another piece of LR. anyway can you help ID this little critter. <Mmm, boy I'm not really sure I can even get this crab to the family level, my guess would be this might be Family Cancridae and it does resemble the Red Rock crab (Cancer antennarius) picture posted on the site... Same family as the Dungeness Crabs. But is more of a guess than an ID. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/swcrabs.htm I would doubt that it is reef safe or fish friendly by the size of the claws. Look more like the type you might eat than keep as a pet. I would certainly house him out of the display. Perhaps the refugium or maybe your local Red Lobster would be a more suitable home?> Paul <I suppose it would be just outright wrong to ask if you had any drawn butter? Heehee! Mich>

Crab ID and Clown/Anemone Question – 07/03/07 Crew, Sorry to lump two different subjects in the same e-mail, but thought it would save you some time. I purchased 65lbs or live rock (50 lbs Fiji/Marshall and 15lbs Florida) about 5 months ago. In the last week or so, I noticed two crabs that hitchhiked in. My face is pressed against the glass every night, so I'm really surprised I haven't seen these crabs until recently (although my tank is 110g). I have attached pictures. I'm pretty sure the first picture is of a sponge crab, genus Schizophrys. It is pretty small and is covered with pieces of orange sponge. The second two pictures are of the same crab. It's hard to get a good shot of it, but it is pretty small (maybe 1/2") and relatively flat with hairy legs. It's claws are pretty small. I've searched the web and WWM but can't find a picture that looks like either of these crabs. My closest guess on the second is the Schizophrys aspera. <Appears to be...> Should I remove these? <Mmm, not yet> Currently, I don't have much in the way of fishes or inverts. One gold banded maroon clown, one BTA, two cleaner shrimp, a pretty good sized clean-up crew, and a sailfin tang in QT. I intend to stick with smallish fish (but not tiny) and some soft corals. When I bought my clown, he was loving life in a BTA. Since I've had him, though, he's spent much of his life in a hospital tank while my display went fallow for 4+ weeks. I recently introduced him back into the tank and he shows no interest in my BTA. <Takes time...> My BTA is tucked under a rock at the bottom of the tank, but definitely visible, flowing, calling out to his friend, but the clown seems totally uninterested. I find this strange since he was in a BTA when I purchased him. I would love for them to have a hot, lovely relations. Do clowns find anemones by scent, sight, some combination of the two, or none of the two? <Good question... I don't know... perhaps a bit of both... It is known that the fish DO communicate with the Anemones chemically> Are clowns fickle, or can it take weeks or longer for the clown to settle in and accept a BTA? <I suspect both... plus a bit autistic... have short memories...> As always, your thoughts are appreciated. Andy <Welcome. Bob Fenner>