Crab ate featherduster?

doc308

Member
I have an odd type of emerald crab that we just discovered in the tank this past weekend. I was suspicious because I kept hearing clicking noises at night. We recently got a small featherduster and it was doing well in our tank. However, last night the featherduster looks like it was torn to bits. Are emerald crabs known for doing this?
 

maryg

Member
I got a feather duster before and it didn't make it through the night. I was mad because of the loss and the feather duster was a pretty pink one. I also had a couple of other mysterious disapearances. Come to find out I had a gorilla crab. I believe he was the culprit.
I have 3 feather dusters and 1 coco worm in my 90 with an emerald crab and they are fine.
 

doc308

Member
Thank you for the response!
What you described is like what I had. A pretty pink featherduster. Beautiful. May it RIP.

Now you've got me wondering....I'll google and see if what I have is in fact an emerald or a gorilla crab.
Just curious. Did you get rid of your gorilla crab? If it's one of the bad ones I don't have a problem giving him the old porcelain trip if you know what i mean.
 

maryg

Member
I pulled out the rock he was in and got him out of it. They like to hide in crevices. Little cowards! I gave him to a friend who has a predator tank. I guess he will reep what he sows. Lol....
He was a beige color with sharp black pointy claws. He looked a little hairy.
It looked like this guy.
 

doc308

Member
I'll have to take a picture of this one. It's not hairy like that one. It's just smooth and tan and very "rock-like". Looks like a little chunky rock with legs and is slow moving. We'll see how slow moving he is when I shishkabob his butt!
 

doc308

Member
Exactly. I could ask them if they want it because it's eating all the "good stuff" like my aiptasia and caulerpa!
Bet they'd snatch him out of my hands so fast his claws would fall off.
 

doc308

Member
I looked all over the tank from the outside and finally saw a large hole where his pinchers gave him away. So I pulled him out (it was easy as he was just trying to camouflage himself and was not wedged in too hard). He does have the black tips on his pinchers however. I have isolated him for now and will probably put him in the refugium.
 

doc308

Member
However, I may have labled him too soon about eating the featherduster...
as I removed the featherduster carcass (what was left) from the tank, come to find out, all the carcass was is a hollow tube of sand stuck together. Then I tried to remove one of the other pieces and saw where it was heavily buried under the sand and would only come loose with digging.
Is it possible that the featherduster worm just relocated and reburied itself? I haven't seen the featherduster actually come out and prove it's alive yet, but I can't figure out how it re-buried itself if the crab really ate it.
Are featherdusters known to regenerate after being cut in half?
-or-
are they known to sluff off their "skin" of sand and rebury themselves?
-and-
if this is just a relocation, how long should I expect before it will show itself?
Should I just dig it back up and make sure it's intact?
Keep in mind that this was a new purchase 4 days ago and that it had not buried itself yet in the sand after relocation.
Sorry for all the questions, but you guys are awesome help!
 
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