filter feeding crab?

[LilBugger225]

With my Florida aquacultured rock I got a number of different crabs that I have been trying to relocate because they have been picking on my corals and stuff. I have been seeing a different kind of crab in the tank lately though. It is flat and purpleish and has somewhat large claws but it appears to be a filter feeder. It has little fans on the front appendages that they scoop towards their mouth like they are filtering stuff out of the water. I cannot get a good picture of this crab because it really likes to hid in ledges. There are several in this tank. Should I be worried about them picking on the corals? I haven't seen them pick on anything yet. Does anyone know what this species is and how big it gets? I have looked in a number of books and can't find anything about this kind of crab.

TIA

Erica

 

[Demose]

sounds like a anemone of porcelan< bad spelling> crab to me...

not a bad one at all just havta give phyto feedings now and then to keep it alive

 

[davelin315]

To me too. Toss them in with an anemone and see if they go to it. One to an anemone is a general rule of thumb.

 

[LilBugger225]

I think you guys are right. I found a pic in Sprungs new inverts book of a porcelain crab from the carribean and it has those filter chelipeds as well as being purple. I just always thought porcelain crabs were more white but that is probably the ones from the indo pacific. I don't think they would harm anything. They certainly can't go into the anemone cause it would piss the clowns off too much i think. I will keep up with my regular phyto feedings. It sure is cool to watch them go nuts with those filters whem I put in some DTs.

Thanks again!

Erica