Small hitchhiker crab on sps

[fredro]

Found this little guy today in the middle of my new sps frag. Idk of its a porcelain crab or not. Mostly white, black around front of head.

 

[cybermeez]

It's really hard to see it in the picture, but it's probably an Acro Crab (a type of commensal crab). They are good and help the coral in exchange for the coral letting it live within its branches. The ones I've seen most frequently are white or light pink with a little, black mask across the eyes. Makes him look like a little bandit.

 

[fredro]

Yup, that's what it is. Such a cool little guy and fun tp watch. Can I buy more?

 

[Reef lover24]

Wow man you lucked out thank god it wasent a bad crab otherwise he woulda destroyed stuff

 

[BAD FISH]

I don't know if you can buy them and they can be picky with the colonies they reside. if anyone knows please chime in I would love some for some of my colonies aswell nice buy fredo . is that your first piece of sps?

 

[cybermeez]

What a great score! They are really neat little critters. I see them occasionally being sold on liveaquaria.com. They are most often the pink ones with purple claws, though sometimes they have the ones with the little bandit mask.

They can be quite selective with they type of coral they'll live in. So, even if you do get another he may not move in to any of the colonies you have. I've seen them take to acros an pocillipora corals, but it can be a real crap shoot. They seem to do best when they come as hitchhikers. If the coral dies they usually do too, unless they can find another host coral nearby that's the right kind.

 

[fredro]

I don't know if you can buy them and they can be picky with the colonies they reside. if anyone knows please chime in I would love some for some of my colonies aswell nice buy fredo . is that your first piece of sps?

Not my first piece of SPS. I did find them available on liveaquaria, but the other ones, with the pink and the spots. This little guy is too cool. He is the all white with the black across his eyes. I fed the tank and he was super fun to watch, trying to run out to a branch to grab some food and then running back in when the cleaner shrimp cam by.

 

[fredro]

What a great score! They are really neat little critters. I see them occasionally being sold on liveaquaria.com. They are most often the pink ones with purple claws, though sometimes they have the ones with the little bandit mask.

They can be quite selective with they type of coral they'll live in. So, even if you do get another he may not move in to any of the colonies you have. I've seen them take to acros an pocillipora corals, but it can be a real crap shoot. They seem to do best when they come as hitchhikers. If the coral dies they usually do too, unless they can find another host coral nearby that's the right kind.

I think this little guy is just the coolest! It scares me to know that they can be very selective and even die if the coral dies. I will be keeping a close eye on it from here out. The coral that it calls home at the moment is very healthy. I can see how they would be selective about where they reside, as not all shapes and branching arrangements/densities are easy for it to move throughout, yet still protective enough to keep any would-be predators out. Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[fredro]

I've gotten 2 more SPS frags from Carribean Blue Aquatics on LI and gotten one one each of them. Another white, bandit and the other one is pinkish w darker and larger claws. Suck cool little guys! Enjoy watching them cautiously sneak out to the limits of the frags, to grab some food when the tank gets fed.