Neptune Aquatics

Crab ID?

A

albertlin

Supporting Member
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Hello!

Found these two tiny crabs both on the same milli colony. Anyone recognize them?

Thanks!
 

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Left one looks like a molting or bleached emerald.. Other looks like a hairy emerald but if the claw tips are black and pointed probably type of gorilla
 
If it has blue eyes it’s probably cymo andreossyi - a type of acro crab. I have a couple of these living in a Mille right now. They are considered symbiotic I think but they do eat polyps and I think are considered a pest. But they aren’t going to do nearly the damage (or get nearly as big) as a gorilla.
 
If the first one have a black line across its eyes, it could be a bandit crab, which is considered a good acro crab.

Bandit coral crab (Tetralia nigrolineata) on the Shores of Singapore

Fact sheet with photos on flora and fauna of Singapore's intertidal shores
www.wildsingapore.com

IMO, the second one I would toss as they will wear out patches in your sps. Similar to how clown gobies will cause dead spots where they sit.
 
psidriven said:
If the first one have a black line across its eyes, it could be a bandit crab, which is considered a good acro crab.

Bandit coral crab (Tetralia nigrolineata) on the Shores of Singapore

Fact sheet with photos on flora and fauna of Singapore's intertidal shores
www.wildsingapore.com

IMO, the second one I would toss as they will wear out patches in your sps. Similar to how clown gobies will cause dead spots where they sit.
Click to expand...

Yep this is what is happening around them in my mille.
 
derek_SR said:
If it has blue eyes it’s probably cymo andreossyi - a type of acro crab. I have a couple of these living in a Mille right now. They are considered symbiotic I think but they do eat polyps and I think are considered a pest. But they aren’t going to do nearly the damage (or get nearly as big) as a gorilla.
Click to expand...
Parasitism is a type of symbiosis so a crab can harm the coral and still have a symbiotic relationship

I love the little bandit acro crabs. I got one once from an import, but it was stressed and couldn’t cling to the coral hard enough, and it disappeared the next week :(

Although my corals were much smaller back then, not much to hide in. Maybe I should try again soon
 
tribbitt said:
Parasitism is a type of symbiosis so a crab can harm the coral and still have a symbiotic relationship

I love the little bandit acro crabs. I got one once from an import, but it was stressed and couldn’t cling to the coral hard enough, and it disappeared the next week :(

Although my corals were much smaller back then, not much to hide in. Maybe I should try again soon
Click to expand...

I have a couple of the bandits too, those are my favorites - and unlike the blue-eyed hairy variety they don't really seem to do any harm.
 
psidriven said:
If the first one have a black line across its eyes, it could be a bandit crab, which is considered a good acro crab.

Bandit coral crab (Tetralia nigrolineata) on the Shores of Singapore

Fact sheet with photos on flora and fauna of Singapore's intertidal shores
www.wildsingapore.com

IMO, the second one I would toss as they will wear out patches in your sps. Similar to how clown gobies will cause dead spots where they sit.
Click to expand...
It's just so hard to see they're too tiny, I could only get this pic with macro lens, but i guess it looks like a bandit. I'll put it back on the colony and see if it gets bigger lol
 
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