v3x3d Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Any ideas on what this is? I found it in my sump and am trying to decide if it will be suitable for the display. http://s2.supload.com/free/IMG_3026.jpg/view/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I would say leave it in the sump. Does it have red eyes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csrdph Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I'm not sure what kind he is-but very cute! I have a seperate tank w/ little hitchhikers like this. They are fun to watch themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nu2reef-n Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 It doesn't look very reef friendly. I would keep him in my sump until I could get a positive ID on what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v3x3d Posted January 20, 2007 Author Share Posted January 20, 2007 I would say leave it in the sump. Does it have red eyes? Yeah, it has red eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Red eyes is uasually a sign of a 'bad' guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbrownies Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 not sure what they are, but I had one like that, more of a purplish color... once he was removed my fish stopped dying in the night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I believe that's a member of the Xanthid family--specifically Platypodia eydouxii or the red-eyed Xanthid. They're said to be vegetarians and scavengers overall, but smaller species are said to sometimes nip at starfish... If you scroll down on this wetwebmedia thread, you should see the photo of your crab, claws tucked under, red eyes looking forward: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/swcrabidfaq2.htm The folks at wetwebmedia couldn't identify it at the time, either, but that certainly looks like your guy to me... Here's some general info on Xanthids: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/factfiles/crustaceans/xanthid_crab_bg.shtml I believe (no guarantees!) yours is a juvenile red-eyed Xanthid (adults are much brighter), but I can't be sure. Attached is a photo of the adult. Here's some info on red-eyed Xanthid, but I have to say, getting any detailed info on this particular crab has been hard to do online. http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/P/Platypodia_eydouxii.asp Here's some better info, and a pic that looks like your guy: http://www.bluforman.com/intertidal/test/species/speciesPages/groups/crabs/platypodiaeydouxiiFG.html (but they didn't have much info either) The species of Xanthid found in Singapore can be poisonous, but there are species in Hawaii (including Platypodia eydouxii) that are not. On this site, you can scroll down and find an adult Platypodia eydouxii from an Oahu tidepool, and it's actually very beautiful! http://www.marinelifephotography.com/marine/arthropods/crabs/crabs.htm Since I'm not absolutely 100% sure about this, I emailed a marine bio lab with an inquiry, just to see if they respond and, if so, what they say... Never hurts to ask, right? It looks, though, like you have what will be a very beautiful and unusual crab! (clap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I guess these little guys eat coral polyps and mucus, so it prob won't do in your main tank. I totally missed this at first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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