My 150 gallon reef has been setup for almost one year. I have had this small piece of live rock with porites and christmas tree worms for at least 6 months. There is this very small creature that is living in the rock in a hole that is small enough to be from a christmas tree worm. Could this be a mantis shrimp? I have never seen this little creature leave the hole, Have not had any unexplained deaths. This little creature just pokes it's head and claws out of the rock most of the time and quickly pops back into the hole if anything swims by. I don't have a digital so I can't get a pic. I am debating if I should get it out of the rock or leave it.
??? mantis shrimp
- Thread starter Deb2
- Start date
I'd bet on a pistol shrimp. Do you hear random clickings in the tank? The hitchhikers I have are small, very shy and look like little lobsters or crayfish. The picture below was the best I could do.
Not often that I disagree, but I do in this case. Christmas tree worm holes are frequently colonized with a species of hermit crab that only occupies smal holes in rocks or corals, moving to larger holes occassionally, but never grabbing a shell and strolling around the tank. I've had several of these in with my christmas tree worms, and have never seen a rock of these worms that did not have one of these small guys. They do not get very large, but may pose a threat to the worms, since they will kill the worm to get a new, larger hole. Otherwise, they are an interesting addition.
What is the name of these hermit crabs, OG? I'd like to google them and see if they match a critter I have seen in my LR exactly twice. I only have one feather duster, but this thing lives in my LR and pokes out once in a while, just like you described.
Does this hermit crab that you see have claws that seem over sized for its small size? This little one's claws, which are still small, seem to be huge for its body. I say this because of head size, I have never actually seen its body.
I have never heard any noises that would make me think it is a pistol shrimp. I can't rule that out though.
BTW it is white in color.
Thanks
I have never heard any noises that would make me think it is a pistol shrimp. I can't rule that out though.
BTW it is white in color.
Thanks
Yep, that's what these little guys look like. They have long, slender antennas, which they will sweep around, and then slide through one claw to clean off the particles--which they eat. They are mostly white, with a tinge of red around the head, and small eye stalks. They tend to be shy--hiding whenever the Christmas tree worms hide.
I can't find a scientific name. I've searched through all my magazines, and can't even find the original article, which leads me to believe I found it on the web, and can not relocate it. Sheesh--I need to get better at bookmarking things. Sorry! I will keep looking though--I found a really cool crustacean ID key, and if I can spend an hour or two with it, I might be able to pin it down.
I can't find a scientific name. I've searched through all my magazines, and can't even find the original article, which leads me to believe I found it on the web, and can not relocate it. Sheesh--I need to get better at bookmarking things. Sorry! I will keep looking though--I found a really cool crustacean ID key, and if I can spend an hour or two with it, I might be able to pin it down.
