What the hell kinda crab is this??

[smcnally]

Just saw this 10 minutes ago. It has 3 fat legs and one skinny leg (at front) on each side. I didn't see any claws.

 

[smcnally]

Wow...crazy little bugger let me grab him with tweezers, and didn't even try to run until after I put him the th bowl. Here's a better shot. I just noticed it has 4 appendages on one side and 5 on the other. Weird...

 

[etszoo]

Cool looking little bugger.

 

[willray]

looks like tick.

 

[smcnally]

looks like tick.

The weird thing about that comment is when I went to pull it off the sponge it was on, I thought "Man, this little guy is holding on like a tick!"

 

[Moe_K]

Very cool. I have no idea what kind o' crab it is.
You may want to post it in Shimek's forum on RC (after reviewing his rules and strictly observing them. )

 

[smcnally]

Very cool. I have no idea what kind o' crab it is.
You may want to post it in Shimek's forum on RC (after reviewing his rules and strictly observing them. )

LOL...He'd probably tell me he cand ID it without it's missing appendage. I posted it in the "New to the Hobby" forum, and TBS forum.

 

[ReeferMedic]

looks like tick.

That's what I thought.......

 

[Chris L]

did it come on a sponge? the reason i ask is i also got a hithhiker on a sponge that looks similar in shape but the color is more peach. it has grown quit a bit since i got him but has not seemed to touch anything he shouldnt yet. if you get a name please post so i know what it is. thanks
chris

 

[Owen22]

hmmm, orange color. Extra appendage. Does he glow in the dark. Could be the rarely seen Chernoble Crab. Radioactivis Illuminatius

 

[One Eye]

The extra appendage is really a missing appendage on the other side. Crabs have 4 legs on each side but they loose legs pretty often. The missing leg will grow back. I've been looking around for an id and can't find a match so far, but I'm going to guess that it's some kind of a parasite. It looks like a tick and most likely behaves like a tick, using the pointed head to dig into it's prey.

 

[NateHanson]

How big?

 

[One Eye]

I'm done searching. From what I've found I'm gonna say some kind of spider crab. The spider crabs have pointed heads. As juveniles most are parasitic, living in corals, sponges, and other invertabrates. They are free living as adults and the one you have probably feeds off the sponge you pulled it from.

 

[Chris L]

should this crab be pulled out or is it ok to be left in the tank?

 

[smcnally]

The missing leg will grow back.

There will be no legs grown back...he's in the freezer at the moment...crabsicle
Nate, he was about 3/8" (if that)

 

[Fragged Up]

Ditto willray! I thought that it looked an aweful lot like a TICK also!