"Crabs" ?

Hello

Found these little crabs and was wondering if I could get I.D.'s...

Porcelain/Squat Lobster look alike ?


Unknown


This one was really peaceful could hold it easily and didn't want to run about.



Any ideas be great

The first one is a lamarkii,no time at the moment for ther rest,off to woolies before closing.

The second one is as common as mud around the low tide mark.

Later, if no one else names them for you.

I figured that it should make for a good source of Live Food considering the large variations in sizes.

The 1st crab was only small, about 20c coin size. Very Placid never tried to nip or run

The 2nd crab was larger at about 2inch long and very active, put it down and it will bolt! Would always try and nip me when I held it too.

The 3rd crab was the same size as the 2nd one but had the mentality of the first one, Very Placid, never tried to nip or run.

I was thinking along the lines of giving the smaller (1st) crabs to the smaller species of stomatopods (25-75mm) whilst giving the larger crabs (2inchs etc) to the larger smashers (100mm+).

Seems like a really good cheap source of live food and seeing as its 'across the road' rather makes it all too easy and money saving

The first one is a herbivore before anything else,they are pretty good for hair algae and cyano.

Between them and my biscuit sea stars, no rubbish algae ever in the display tank!

I have two in my new tank as of a few hours ago and many in the old tank.

When the lights are off for an hour or two I can sometimes count 20ish in the old tank

There could be more as I have a night light to reduce the stress for the fish, so that may hold some back from showing, the fish are right into them when they are seen, especially the wrasse, I put a few in each month to replace the ones chewed on,lol.

Your little mantis should enjoy them,not a really hard shell on them.

Another thing, if you can kharn, make sure you never say where or show where you collect anything, to many reasons to say why!!!!

liquidg wrote:The first one is a herbivore before anything else,they are pretty good for hair algae and cyano.

Between them and my biscuit sea stars, no rubbish algae ever in the display tank!

I have two in my new tank as of a few hours ago and many in the old tank.

When the lights are off for an hour or two I can sometimes count 20ish in the old tank

There could be more as I have a night light to reduce the stress for the fish, so that may hold some back from showing, the fish are right into them when they are seen, especially the wrasse, I put a few in each month to replace the ones chewed on,lol.

Your little mantis should enjoy them,not a really hard shell on them.

Another thing, if you can kharn, make sure you never say where or show where you collect anything, to many reasons to say why!!!!

Lol all good either way I plan on getting myself a bundle more of them now =)

So I would assume that those Porcelain type crabs (the first ones) would do no harm to mushroom corals

Never had the two together mate,so your guess is as good as mine.

the last one shows a great resemblance to a common queensland mud crab.
tho dark in color

The only thing that through me off with the 3rd crab was its placid nature, unwilling to nip (put my finger in its claws) along with it always retreating into that box shape of itself when its upside down. Of the muddys I have got in the past, there always aggressive (throw there claws up in defense) and they always try and run or escape, none of this did the 3rd crab have.

Also the 3rd crab seems to have a distinct bicolor or pattern on its claw with 1 half 1 color and the other a different, something I haven't seen in muddys before.

EDIT: All the above might just be a typical behavior / color of a small mud crab, not sure.

The second one is a mangrove crab and this ones colour varies a great deal depending on where its from.
metopograpsus frontalis


The last one is an endemic crab as far as I know to around here and its colour can be light or dark.
paracleistostoma wardi


I asked a reliable biolgist i know as to which ones because they werent in my books.