Crab Identification

Cindy ha scritto:

* 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

Also my crab is growing up and it's starting tunnelling and digging
under the rock. I'm considering to get it out of the tank and carry
back to my reef shop...maybe I can exchange it with a coral frag.

cory