|
Featured Sponsor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting Crab Found in My Lunch: Oyster Crab - 11/15/08 |
 |
| Re:
Interesting Crab Found in My Lunch: Oyster Crab - 11/17/08 Thanks, Lynn. <It was a pleasure, Andy.> Yep, from my searches, it does appear to be a Pea Crab. Looked exactly like the picture here: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/sertc/images/photo%20gallery/Zaops%20ostreum%20in%20oyster.jpg <Yes, they're odd but at the same time neat looking little creatures. By the way, I was looking around for more information today on this crab and found that the species name I gave you (Pinnotheres ostreum) has been reclassified as Zaops ostreum. Pinnotheres is considered a synonym but Zaops is the currently accepted genus.> Not that it matters, but I noticed that when you posted my query on WWM, the pictures weren't attached. <Yes, and I apologize for that. I'm not sure what happened.> Take care, and thanks again/as always. Andy <You're very welcome. Take care, Lynn> |
Weird flat spider thing
10/17/08
Guys, the information on this site is outstanding. My uncle was a Nat Geo marine
photographer, and he seems to of passed the fascination on to me. I trolled your
site but can't find what I'm looking for. Hope you can give me some clues to
research
<OK.>
I just got home and the light timer hadn't been
working...... which is another story. I got some awesome live rock from
Queensland with a huge amount of life forms in it. All sorts of worms, crabs,
tiny star fish, different slugs, crazy looking fungus and sponges, things that
squirt stuff.... too much to mention. Anyway, enough boasting. I turned the
lights on and there was this huge dark coloured flat creature with a centre
piece, maybe 1.5inch to 2inch with between 6 - 8 hairy legs coming from the
centre, that got thinner towards the ends. I guess the total diameter of the
creature was about 6 - 8inch. It's ran away quickly a bit like an Octopus might.
<Hmm... without a photo, obviously difficult to out a name to this.>
Any
ideas?
<Do review the genus Percnon, particularly Percnon gibbesi, a very
common "stowaway" in reef tanks. It's very flattened, has long legs, and up to a
point is amphibious. It's an invasive species, and has recently appeared in the
Mediterranean.>
Many thanks
<Cheers, Neale.>
Mystery coralline-eating crab –
10/10/08
Hi there!
<Howsit Juli?>
Thanks for working to educate us newbies!
We have had a 50 gallon saltwater aquarium set up for about 6 months now with
live sand, live rock, 2 ocellaris clowns, a Longnose Hawkfish, and a royal
gramma Basslet. We also added an assortment of hermit crabs, snails, and a
cleaner shrimp before realizing that the crabs were probably not the best idea.
<Surprised the Hawk has not consumed most all the crustaceans here>
However, the ones we purchased (red-legged, dwarf yellow tip, dwarf blue leg)
are small and do not seem to be causing issues as of yet. Our last purchase a
couple months ago were two pieces of live rock with mushroom corals attached...
and apparently, a "cling on"... while looking after the lights went out one
night, we discovered a small (maybe 1/2 inch?) hairy crab lurking under one of
the rocks! I searched the site and found an obscure reference to one bearing
similarities (http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/hello/252/1727/640/DeadCrab.jpg)
but it's not an exact match.
<Mmm, the shape overall, the darkened tips of the claws... a member of the
family Xanthidae... Mud crab/s... predaceous>
Over several nights, I observed this crab moving sand
around underneath the mushroom rock and several adjacent ones and it only
appears to be eating coralline algae.
<Mmm, and likely more>
I have witnessed this behavior, where it breaks a chunk of rock off with one of
its claws (they are the same size) and sends grains of rock flying. The carapace
itself appears to be purplish coralline in color and the legs are whitish, bumpy
and fuzzy.
<Beautiful. Good description>
Its eye stalks are black and so far, the thing is only active after the lights
go out. Sorry I couldn't get a pic, this little guy is definitely camera shy. If
you can give any ideas or direction, we would greatly appreciate your help!
<Mmm, nothing more than a cursive review of our Crab ID FAQs:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/swcrabidfaqs.htm
and the many in the series linked above... This one... not a worry/problem until
it's eating, destroying too much... at which point, you might want to bait/trap
and remove it to elsewhere. Bob Fenner>
Re: Mystery coralline-eating crab
10/11/08
Bob,
Thanks so much! After searching under Xanthidae/mud crab, I most definitely
think it's in that family. We are planning to upgrade to a 120 gallon tank in
the next few months, so will be perfect timing to remove this guy and send him
back to the LFS.
Regards,
Juli
<Ah good. Cheers, BobF>
|
Hitchhiker Crab ID: Need More
Information – 10/8/08 |
 |
| Re:
Hitchhiker Crab ID: Need More Information – 10/8/08 <Hello again> No sorry, that's the most I have ever seen of him. <Well, I can sure understand. I have a crab that likes to play hide and seek with me as well. I know what species it is, but I’ve never been able to get a good photo of it. Your success is a testament to your patience and skills with a camera!> He usually just sticks the smaller of the two arms out and picks stuff of the rocks. <Yep, it’s one of those “form follows function” things. That’s a perfect little claw for delicate picking. The other claw looks capable of taking on larger items, or it could be mainly used in defense/dominance displays, attracting a mate, or a combination of all of the above. I just don’t know.> I will try to take some more pictures tonight. <Thanks! If you can, I sure would appreciate it. I really need to see the overall shape of the top of the carapace (looking straight down on it) and to confirm the number of walking legs on each side (are there 3 or 4?). One thing for sure is that it definitely is an interesting little thing. There aren’t all that many fully marine crabs (if yours is indeed a fully marine species) that have claws of such different size like that. You see it regularly in land and fiddler crabs, but not so much otherwise.> I haven't confirmed yet, but I think I may have two or more now... I'm not sure where he came from, he was in my live rock when I got it. The live rock I used came into my local fish store when a customer traded it in for store credit. I'm assuming he had it in an established tank for some time but it could have also crawled into my LR while it was in the store. <Yep, at this point it could have come from just about anywhere. That sort of thing happens all the time. No worries though, we’ll see what we can figure out! Take care, -Lynn> |
|
Crab ID: Xanthid - 10/3/08
Re: Crab ID: Xanthid - 10/4/08 Re: Crab ID: Xanthid –
10/5/08 |
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
