Help identifying crab

[jmattingly]

I have recently set up a reef tank and am just starting to add some life to it.

I have live sand/rock and wanted to start getting some crabs in the tank to sift through the sand and keep things cleaned. What I got was a pair of "warrior" crabs. The one has litterally torn the other crab to pieces. Thanks to the LFS for suggesting these guys would do "just fine" in my 55 gallon tank.

I would love to know what kind of crab this is, as it isn't what the LFS said it was... or atleast I'm pretty certain it isn't what they sold it as.

It is a deep red with white speckles on all of it's limbs. It also has blue "kneecaps".

So what the heck is it???

Thanks.

Joe

[Ghost_knife]

It's one of the larger hermits obviously..which species...I dont know. Personally the giant ones are too aggressive for me.. I had 2 giant zebra ones and they killed my conch...what a mess....anyways...looks sweet though

[WeeNe858]

ushually bigger hermits are more aggressive and will kill snails for their shells or just the the heck of it.. i say take it out

[BadRoma1]

i like him, looks cool

[Germanman]

its a spotted hermit crab lol ....Dordanus guttatus....dont you love common names lol thank god for scientific names! they arnt reef safe and the get big and will catch and eat fish and will eat anemones and corals as well as redecorate your tank when they get to adulthood.

[michael70068]

I had one eat about 500 worth of fish and inverts I return him to lfs i got him from where he eat about 200 worth of fish and inverts then he was feed to a hugh green eel return him soon i seen this crab eat a small lionfish

[5xevy]

ushually bigger hermits are more aggressive and will kill snails for their shells or just the the heck of it.. i say take it out

Hehe, my regular small hermits do this too (scarlet, red leg). I have to constantly put shells in the tank. I must admit they look odd carrying around a snail shell.


its a spotted hermit crab lol ....Dordanus guttatus

Good call!

[BeelzeBob]

that thing looks pissed!

thats like one of those little monsters you'd almost never suspect. if you can. id just put him in your fuge if you got one.

i kinda want like a "reject" tank for all things evil that one finds in their reef. it could be like some sort of saltwater alcatraz/battledome.

the hardest part of this hobby for me is finding way cool things in my tank that i cant keep cause they'll hurt other stuff. i mean, its not like their fault:joke:

[jmattingly]

Thanks for the assistance. I should have known the scientific name was going to be hard to figure out. ;)

I'm planning on adding corals to the tank, so I guess this guy is gone. I like the idea of adding him to my sump though. I've got a nice little spot where I think he'll be happy, and where he can't kill off the rest of my tank.

Thanks again!

Joe

[cullyisgully]

maby u can put up some more pic of your tank. :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: