Please help me identify this crab

[edmsalt]

Hi, found this guy in my tank.
Anyone know what he is? is he good or bad? I have corals in my tank, as well as fish.
50G tank.
thanks.

 

[speg]

A very similar looking crab was posted on this site some time ago... if you did some searching you may find it.

 

[mudplayerx]

Shameface crab perhaps? (Calappa spp)

 

[happyhourh]

Id get it out if I were you! For sure not reef safe.

 

[blazehok68]

blue claw?

 

[dogstar]

Looks like the Red Eye Reef Crab, Eriphia Sebana.

 

[farmboy]

What happens if you use "red eye reduction" on your camera and take a pic of this guy?
Things that make you say, "Hmmmm. . . ." :thinking:

 

[dogstar]

Visine gets the red out, haha

 

[farmboy]

:jumping: Do you put them in a QT to dose the visine? Or how many drops per gallon is that for the display?

Great pics of a great looking critter. I want one.

 

[fordsvt04]

bump..... I just found one of these in my tank did we come to an answer if it really was bad or not? How do I catch him. I tried but he hides in all the holes.

 

[fordsvt04]

its the first pic on this post. Not the red one.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by fordsvt04
bump..... I just found one of these in my tank did we come to an answer if it really was bad or not? How do I catch him. I tried but he hides in all the holes.
When I want blue crab for dinner I fiish with chicken necks. The crab will hold onto the neck and you just reel him in slowly and grab him. Find out what he eats and if he is carnivore try dangling a large piece of fish in front of his face and get the net behind him.

 

[ophiura]

Really no crab in a tank is a "good" grab. ALL crabs we add, with the possible exception of filter feeders like porcelain crabs, are opportunistic and pose some threat to corals and such. I would always assume it is bad. May wish to leave it in a sump or refugium...it will scavenge stuff for sure, but in a main tank it might eventually cause trouble.

 

[catawaba]

I have the exact same crab based on photo #1. He comes out at night :scared: but always return to the same 'hole'
I'm going to try a cocktail shrimp on some fishing line, but he is SMART....I've tried to ambush him in the night many times.....he is FAST

He has a great home waiting in the sump if I could catch him!
Any other ideas?

 

[ophiura]

Have you tried a bottle trap?

 

[ophiura]

Time for another of my fabulous pictures. Made with a 20oz soda bottle, cut near the top.

 

[catawaba]

I'll try it.
Great sketches by the way!

 

[catawaba]

Hasn't worked yet....and now my mandarin dragonet is missing her tail!!! :scared:

(I put her in QT) and will keep trying on the evil crab.....

 

[deadmanschest]

well if you wanna get him out the easy way (involves killing the crab) just get a fishing hook bend it until its straight. attach it to a wooden chopstick. wait for him to come out and then harpoon him. thats if you wanna kill him, i know i would if he ate my madarins tail.

 

[ophiura]

Another trap is using a glass bottle that you can kind of tilt against the rock with some food in it. Hopefully it would get in, but not be able to climb the glass out.