black crab with white tips on its claws????

[luky101]

hello, first let me say hi, im new to the forum.
now to my head scratcher, i added some LR about 2 weeks ago straight from the ocean around tarpon springs fl (after sitting in a quarintine tank for 2 weeks) last night i noticed a little movement in a hole, so i sat there with a light and found it was a crab. a VERY small crab. he is about the same size as a pencil eraser is round. he is a stocky looking little guy. he is jet black with white tips on his pinchers. i will try to get pics but the guy is fast and little. he doesnt seem to be bothering the green wolf who has taken up under this crabs rock. any ideas on what kind of crab he might be?

 

[btldreef]

Welcome to the forum!!
Just keep an eye on it, hitchhiker crabs are usually bad, but sometimes we get a good one.

 

[hawkfish203]

Could be a black mithrax crab they are a common hitchhiker but it could really be anything a pic would def help. If it has pointy claws or harry it's prob bad the exception is the emerald crab which is what that black mithrax is if thats what it is. Should have pads on its claws for eating algae.

 

[luky101]

ok, most deff not a black mithrax. everything on him is very smooth. also just the tips of his pinchers are white. and they are very round, almost like boxing gloves. the dude looks like he is the boxer of the crab world. i did a google search of crabs from florida and got nothin. and taking a pic is gonna be hard, tried lastnight and it either turned out to be a blurry black dot or a streak as he darted back to his whole. im gonna try to catch him and give him to my neighbor who has a 100 gal fuge. he should fit in nice there till we can see what he is. now for catching the little guy.

 

[hawkfish203]

Yea I'd say if you can't figure out what it is to def try and get it out because you never know with hitchhikers. Good Luck

 

[btldreef]

It sounds like it might be a Porcelain crab/Anemone crab.

 

[luky101]

ok, finally got him out, actually had a few other crabs come out. not 100% sure about them either. but i was able to get some pics of this black guy, ill be posting them tonight. along with a pic of the other type that came out. they are all now helping establish my wifes nano. then (depending on if i figure out what they are) they are moving to my neighbors fuge. looked at pics of anemone crabs and it might be. not sure. but thanks for all the help.