# Black Crab red Eyes



## JustinRice (Feb 24, 2005)

Hello,

I have been noticing my fish that have been hiding in the rocks MIA for the last few months. There would be no bodies or remains left to find. I had a friend over a few weeks ago and they pointed out a crab in my tank. It kind of resembled a Emerald Crab that i thought died over a year ago. except i think this one is a bit smaller then the emerald i lost. He is shaped like a emerald crab but black with red eyes.

I finally had teh chance to catch him after 3 weeks. Just wondering if he is the reason i have been missing fish and if anyone has an id for him. i will try to get some pics of him later this evening when i get home from work..

Any ideas would be awesome.

Thanks,


----------



## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

The crab can very well be the culprit. It can turn into a fish eater when it is large or if very hungry.


----------



## Doddridge (Aug 7, 2006)

JustinRice said:


> Hello,
> 
> I have been noticing my fish that have been hiding in the rocks MIA for the last few months. There would be no bodies or remains left to find. I had a friend over a few weeks ago and they pointed out a crab in my tank. It kind of resembled a Emerald Crab that i thought died over a year ago. except i think this one is a bit smaller then the emerald i lost. He is shaped like a emerald crab but black with red eyes.
> 
> ...


does this look like the crab you saw?


----------



## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Looks like a killer crab to me. Goto your lfs and ask if you can throw him in a trigger/puffer tank.


----------



## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

Yeah, crabs and large starfish (seastars) are more than likely the number one cause of fish just up and vanishing.


----------



## JustinRice (Feb 24, 2005)

McDoddridge said:


> does this look like the crab you saw?


Yes he looks just like him, hairy legs, he is a little smaller then a nickle per say. He is probably a little more black, white in the joints and blood red eyes. Bad looking dude!!! haha I never had a chance to post the pics last night. i will make sure to do this evening though.

Thanks for the quick feedback.


----------



## JustinRice (Feb 24, 2005)

I am at work now so this isn't a exact picture of mine. this is the closest i could find while searching the internet at work looking for my new pet!







he resembles this one closesly.









I believe he is a part of the Xanthid (s)

-Justin


----------



## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

He looks ticked off.


----------



## kigrind (Sep 28, 2006)

99.99999.9.99999% chance you didnt lose anything, you just cant see it from where your standing. Next time you notice it missing, start moving stuff around. If not, your crab is just going to eat it cause thats what they are supposed to do or are ment to do, maybe eat some dead stuff. Scavengers?


----------



## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

You can tell by the pinchers. It they look like a sharp weapon then they are more of a predator, If they look blunt then they are algea eaters.
Look at a emerald crabs pinchers.
Unless you have a acropora crab, Then those are ok, But they are tiny and usually mostly white, and only found in acro's..


----------



## JustinRice (Feb 24, 2005)

I don't believe the claw method is an adequate method to tell what your crab has been eating. From what i have researched almost any crab will eat whatever need be to survive. What mostly all crabs do when hungry is corner their prey in a hole in a rock. Such as the dart fish that went missing last week. The fish swims in a hole and when the crab corners him he can take his time killing the prey and eating it.

These fish are defintly disappearing completely. I had a Pyjama Cardinal disappear the day before i was completing the tank upgrade(I switched my 33 gal saltwater up to a 90 Gal saltwater). I analized everyrock as good as i possibly could, and there was still no sign of the pyjama cardinal. and i also tore the tank apart looking for the Dart Fish that went missing or the colprit who ate him.

and the only fish that have been going missing are the ones who lay low and hang out in the caves and holes for the rocks. I most certainly believe that this crab or another one has to be the one eating my fish. If he was in that tank for five years and i haven't seen him eat once during a feeding he had to of been eating more then just algae. He must of came into the tank in the beginning on a live piece of rock at a VERY Small size.

Thanks,
-Justin


----------



## nswhite (Mar 23, 2005)

I think you are right I think the crab in your tank is whats making all your other fish disapear.


----------



## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Well all crabs are opportunistic feeders. I said more predatory with the examples given above.
None are 100 percent going to not try to eat some corals or a easy catch fish, But some are less likely to do it. Like the emeralds. If they dont have a food they can eat they they will go for anything they will make the best of what they can. Look at fish. Pacu's are vegitarians, Butthey will eat feeders. 
The one you posted looks like what people call a stone crab. VERY predatory.
It will destroy all your livestock.


----------

