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Are some 'acro crabs' acro-eaters??


lanman

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I have a really nice efflo that has been growing well for 6 months. A small 'acro crab' moved into it when a frag I purchased died. Since then, I have strange looking 'dead spots' on the efflo that looks eaten.

 

Do some of these 'commensal' crabs eat their hosts??

 

bob

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It's not unusual to have dead looking spots on a efflo but it would be strange to find a true acro crab eating it's host. They typically protect they're host via cleaning, grooming and ridding of many associated pests.

Does detritous sit anywhere on this efflo?

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It's not unusual to have dead looking spots on a efflo but it would be strange to find a true acro crab eating it's host. They typically protect they're host via cleaning, grooming and ridding of many associated pests.

Does detritous sit anywhere on this efflo?

 

Occasionally my sleeper goby deposits some sand on it - but it gets blown back off that evening. It is still only about 3" ... the crab has 'carved out' a spot under the ONE slightly overhanging piece. The crab is fuzzy, and has sharp black claws - like a gorilla crab. Would a gorilla crab live in a coral? Let me take pictures... the yellowish areas are the parts I'm talking about. After a few days, they start to grow back over with green. But if whatever continues nibbling at it - it won't last long.

 

The efflo:

efflo.jpg

The crab:

crab.jpg

 

bob

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Are you sure it's not another pest, like acropora eating flatworms?

 

Jon

 

Only if they only come out at night, or are too small to see with a magnifying glass... I've seen no other pests on that thing.

 

Chip - the crab lives under that little branch. It's the only place I've ever seen him.

 

bob

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Is the coral attached? You could try chasing the crab off to another coral, then move the efflo onto the sand and put a strawberry basket or other cage over it to isloate the coral. This would give the coral a break from whatever is going on with the crab. Perhaps the crab is munching, or perhaps it is simply irritating the coral too much.

 

Jon

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that looks like a gorilla crab. Looks pretty hairy if you ask me

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Occasionally my sleeper goby deposits some sand on it - but it gets blown back off that evening. It is still only about 3" ... the crab has 'carved out' a spot under the ONE slightly overhanging piece. The crab is fuzzy, and has sharp black claws - like a gorilla crab. Would a gorilla crab live in a coral? Let me take pictures... the yellowish areas are the parts I'm talking about. After a few days, they start to grow back over with green. But if whatever continues nibbling at it - it won't last long.

 

The efflo:

efflo.jpg

The crab:

crab.jpg

 

bob

 

Sorry boB, I thought that was a piece of rock.

I would reove the crab and get out the old bay.

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Bob you definitely want to take that crab out, i had the same thing taking chunks out of a millipora :scuba:

 

Bob you definitely want to take that crab out, i had the same thing taking chunks out of a millipora :scuba:

 

-1.jpg

 

-2.jpg

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Captured! Alive!!

 

crab2.jpg

 

crab1.jpg

 

Now let's see if the coral heals up.

 

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

bob

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  • 1 month later...

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