What is this on my Emerald Crab?

[jpc763]

I noticed this a week ago, but finally got a picture. Any ideas what this opaque bubble is on the crabs shell?

 

[pontius]

hard to say, not a great pic. almost looks like some kind of polyp or mushroom with that dark spot in the center. and that's entirely possibly. I've seen snails walking around with tiny feather dusters attached to their shells.

 

[jpc763]

Originally Posted by Pontius
hard to say, not a great pic. almost looks like some kind of polyp or mushroom with that dark spot in the center. and that's entirely possibly. I've seen snails walking around with tiny feather dusters attached to their shells.
The dark spot is actually his shell showing through a clear section. And he actually has a few tube worms on his back.

 

[mikeyjer]

My Emerald Crabs don't carry anything like that...lol.... I had a hermit once carrying a mushroom on it's shell.....

 

[anthropo]

looks like a fungus

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by anthropo
looks like a fungus
IF you look closely, those are tube worms like he says.....

 

[renogaw]

looks like a sponge i have on my rock

 

[jpc763]

Doesn't seem to bother him at all. He cruises around his rock cleaning like nothing is there. I expect when he molts it will be gone.

 

[renogaw]

if you can find the molt, i'd try to get a clearer picture of it, maybe out of water. I'd also say put that upper carapace in your rock somewhere so the worms can grow.

 

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by renogaw
looks like a sponge i have on my rock
I'd have to agree, looks like a sponge to me. I have a couple of these on various rocks...

 

[jpc763]

Originally Posted by renogaw
if you can find the molt, i'd try to get a clearer picture of it, maybe out of water. I'd also say put that upper carapace in your rock somewhere so the worms can grow.
I have those worms everywhere! I got tons of those worms and very few pods! The inside walls of my fuge are covered in them.

 

[reefkprz]

looks like a sponge to me too if you look close near the eye you can see the pores of the sponge.