Pest crab or good crab?

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by Brent Washburn, Oct 11, 2016.

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  1. Brent Washburn

    Brent Washburn Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    9
    Location:
    Melbourne, FL
    Found this little guy off my beach, thought he was an emerald crab underwater (red light doesn't do well at depth so he looked green). Not sure if he's a pest or not but he's pretty cool and I've been keeping him in my refugium for some time. IMG_0139.JPG
     
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  3. Swisswiss

    Swisswiss Caribbean Reef Squid

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2011
    Messages:
    2,879
    Location:
    Geneva Switzerland
    looks like an emerald but a photo of its pincers would tell us for certain, if the tips of the pincers are pointy they are used to grab, penetrate and hold prey... if they the tips are widened out, like spoons then they are used to grab and pull algae off the rocks and then...NOM NOM NOM!!!!!

    all crabs pose a potential risk, if they go hungry they will adapt their diet and go for other tank inhabitants, otherwise emeralds are considered reef safe and useful algae controllers
     
  4. Brent Washburn

    Brent Washburn Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    9
    Location:
    Melbourne, FL
    Yeah I'm feeling pretty sure its a red minthrax crab, spoon like claws, and behavior like emerald crabs I've had before.
     
: crab