* Cindy wrote, On 10/19/2006 3:31 PM:
* Wayne Sallee wrote, On 10/19/2006 2:59 PM:
Looks like a common rock crab. When small they usually don't cause
much harm, but can be a problem when they get bigger.

I have one that I brought home from a day at Galveston beach last
spring. Dark brown with black-tipped claws. He was about the size of
half my thumbnail when I put him in my 8-gal. hex. He grew. And he
grew. He ate my peppermint shrimp. He picked off my baby
feather-dusters and macroalgae. He started tunneling and digging. Dug
all the sand out from under the rock -- lowered my reef by 2", tipped
over rocks. So I put it back. He did it again. So I put him in
another tank all by himself. He has a gallon of water, a disc of
decorative coral, a piece of live rock, a tiny fountain pump, a bunch of
empty seashells and a couple of mangroves that are starting to root. He
eats like a hog, and is about 1 1/2-2" across. Attacks chopsticks,
chases floating plastic toy jellyfish out of his "spot," will grab your
finger if you put it in his hole. His name is Macho Crab. He's great,
but I wouldn't have him back in the main tank for anything.

Cindy

Oh and he has 2" of sand to dig in.