The always elusive purple reef lobster

[anonome]

I snapped a shot of my purple reef lobster and thought I would share. This is only the third time I have seen it since I put it in the tank 7 months ago. I know it is alive by its molts...like clockwork every 6 weeks. I was feeding the tank and it stretched its claw out to snag a pellet. I know it is blurry, but had to work fast. Enjoy.

 

[maxalmon]

I want one of these so bad, but you never see them. Congrats on getting a quick glance

Jim

 

[gatorwpb]

They really are such beautiful bugs, but the fact that they hide so much makes them not worth getting to me.

 

[anonome]

Thanks for the comments, and yes he is a beautiful "bug", but I never see it.

But sure is fun trying to look for it. Yesterday, when looking behind the rocks I found a mushroom colony that I had no idea was there. So, he helps me look at every inch of the tank.
GatorWTB....I love your avatar. I have a rooster fairy wrasse that when he is in full showoff mode I never have my camera handy!!

Great picture.

 

[k8eydid]

Here is a pic of my lobster. He has been in his cave since introduced to my tank 1 month ago, luckily I have access to the back of the tank and can see him when I want to. I feed him a small piece of raw scallop about every 3 days and he has molted once already. Pretty cool! He moves around in the cave a little but not while being watched. I know he is out at night when all of the lights are out because things are moved around a bit.

 

[cgj]

My purple lobster is a total SOB. He has killed countless snails, nudibranches, crabs, you name it, he's slaughtered it. He killed a new starfish I had just yesterday, and late this night, I added a baby hawkfish to my tank, only to watch it get slashed and torn to shreds by him before my very eyes. That was the last straw. After an hour of chase, I have him captured and he is breakfast for a large mouth bass tomorrow am.
Those things are TERRIBLE additions to any tank unless its a fish only tank with exceptionally large and strong fish.

 

[jc74]

That reminds me of a fire shrimp I used to have. I put him in the tank and saw him for the first couple days, then he seemingly disappeared. A month later, still no signs of him even at night.
So after another month went by I bought another one. A week later, I saw two fire shrimp peeping in and out of the upper rockwork.
It's funny how it never came out until I got another one. I guess competition for food made him more bold.

 

[cgj]

Thats accurate. i got a fire shrimp and loved his beauty. However he just sat on the backside of a rock all day. When I introduced another they mated and go all over the tank in direct sight.

 

[saltn00b]

i had a similar experience with the purple reef lobster that CGJ did. ate a lot of stuff. when i moved the tank i made it a point to snag him and trade him out.
i now have a spiny blue reef lobster and he is too cool! he hangs out in the open or semi open at all times. i believe he is responsible for eating a cleaner shrimp and possibly one of my blood shrimps but i was not feeding him silversides until this week. so i take it as my fault. we will see how long my other shrimp last.

 

[cgj]

Thats not good... arent blue lobsters even bigger and stronger than the purple ones? If I would have had one of those, nothing would be alive in my tank right now.

 

[saltn00b]

they can get to be pretty big but they are supposed to be pretty docile and good reef additions. they dont have pincers , they have the spines like florida lobsters. im uploading pics now, ill post up in a sec

 

[saltn00b]

 

[98lude]

i got a purple lobster in th box when i bought my first batch of live rock and i see it all the time... i find if you dont feed at night and put food right infront of its hole it comes out during the day.