Coral Eating Crabs

[Sea Turtle]

I just purchased a brush bottle acropora coral colony. I noticed that all the lower branch's were black (dead). I also noticed that there was a hitchiker on there. He looks like an emerald crab but brown and fuzzy. Almost like a wolf spider. He has been hanging out in the coral for the whole day. Could he be eating the coral? Is this a crab that eats coral? Are there crabs that eat coral? Should I be worried about this? Should this guy be terminated asap?

 

[IIITYIII]

I just purchased a brush bottle acropora coral colony. I noticed that all the lower branch's were black (dead). I also noticed that there was a hitchiker on there. He looks like an emerald crab but brown and fuzzy. Almost like a wolf spider. He has been hanging out in the coral for the whole day. Could he be eating the coral? Is this a crab that eats coral? Are there crabs that eat coral? Should I be worried about this? Should this guy be terminated asap?

got a pic? there are a lot of hitchikers that come in rocks that look like little craby/ spiders that do eat corals. i know of one that specifically eats zoo's. keep a eye maybe get a pic or just get him out of the tank.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I just purchased a brush bottle acropora coral colony. I noticed that all the lower branch's were black (dead). I also noticed that there was a hitchiker on there. He looks like an emerald crab but brown and fuzzy. Almost like a wolf spider. He has been hanging out in the coral for the whole day. Could he be eating the coral? Is this a crab that eats coral? Are there crabs that eat coral? Should I be worried about this? Should this guy be terminated asap?

got a pic? there are a lot of hitchikers that come in rocks that look like little craby/ spiders that do eat corals. i know of one that specifically eats zoo's. keep a eye maybe get a pic or just get him out of the tank.

I have been trying to get him out for a while now. He has made a real good hide-out in a littel hole in the live rock. I could bash him and end it now, but I am a humane person and would rather get him alive. He is for SURE a crab. Harry, dime size, brown with some white and brown hairs. Has the two front claws and all. I hate crabs!!!! I am almost sure that he is eating the acropora, but I need someone to verify to me that crabs like this do actually eat the coral. It seems as if he is just eating off the polyps, leaving a black, dead skeleton.

 

[orange shark]

probably completely wrong but teddybear crabs are hairy

 

[littleme1969]

Teddy bear crabs looks like teddies..lol they are just one huge ball of fluff and generally are beige in colour.
Zoo spiders tend to only be about 3 - 5mm in size and have no hairs, they just look spindly and slightly transparent and move very slowly. No visible claws.
To be honest there are so many crabs out there even with a pic it would be difficult to identify. Chances are hes made his home there as there was already whole for him to hide out in and the placment of the original colony would have been where food would find itself so he didnt have to look far for a snack. Crabs generally will only eat corals as a last resort as they prefer tit bits of fish food, but there are definatly some that like to nibble on sort corals.
To be one the safe side I would get him out and maybe stick him in your sump if you have one, as little crabs with a good food source can sometimes turn into monsters