Crabs and missing fish

[nauticalgyrl]

Hi , I have a question about a crab. I dont know what kind it is except that it looks like the cancer zodiac with long pinchers. My question is I bought a wrasse was fine one day then it just disappeared I never saw it again. Can a crab kill and eat a fish? the crab lives in the crooks of my LR. I have had other fish die as well but was assuming they died from another cause but am now wondering if this crab is not preying on them. Any ideas?

 

[roka64]

Can a crab kill and eat a fish?

Arrow crabs will spear and kill fish, i'm sure there are others that will as well, but I am not familliar with them.
Can you get a pic? Does it look like this:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=625

What are you water parameters?

 

[nauticalgyrl]

HI thanks for the pic, nope not a sally lightfoot. Looks like a cancer zodiac crab. A tannish reddish body with large front pinchers. Walks sideways

 

[roka64]

This one:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=629

If so, they are peaceful and might eat a fish that is already dead. It doesn't look like they will attack a healthy animal, unless provoked.

If this is not the crab, you may want to look online and see if you can find something similar. It is difficult to ID something we can't see.

I am not too familiar with the Zodiac signs, everywhere I looked had different looking Cancer pictures....

 

[nauticalgyrl]

Thanks for your help. I was reading and I think I may have found my culprit. I have a large bristle star that I guess can eat fish. Hmm will have to figure out what to do with him if he is the one eating my fish. Have you heard of a starfish eating fish?

 

[roka64]

Have you heard of a starfish eating fish?

I just checked on a few, they are Carnivores but it looks like they generally eat bi-valves, like clams. I imagine they would eat a dead or possibly dying fish.
Some one might be along to give their presonal experience or what they have learned.

Again, it is hard to determine what kind it is with out a picture.
Also, what are your water paramiters?
1. Post your test results
2. How many fish have died and in what period of time, what else do you have in your tank?

Let's back up:
1 How long has your tank been up and running?
2 How did you acclimate your wrasse?

You can update your "my info" to let others know what kind of equipment/critters and such you have in your tank, so you won't have to keep answering the same questions.


+++EDIT+++
I just now found that Green Serpent Starfish:
As juvenilles they are normally fine with all other inhabitants but as they grow in size they have been known to eat small fish that venture into their hiding spots.

 

[MT79]

Can a crab kill and eat a fish?

Definitely. The vast majority of crabs are predators and are not recommended to be kept w/ fish or other inverts. A wrasse would be more vulnerable, more so than other fish, because they bed down in the sand at night. That would make him easy pickins' for the crab-unless the fish was much bigger.

with large front pinchers

That pretty much says it all. I'd remove it.
As far as starfish go, green brittle stars are notorious fish eaters. Most other serpent/brittle stars are fairly docile. It's always a good idea to target feed them to be sure their not too hungry. Lack of food could cause predation. HTH