New,Scary Critter

[usmcmarc]

OK..I know this is a long shot but I will have to do this by explaining it. There is no way I can get a pic of this.

I have a "pass thru" hole in one of my pieces of LR. Can see right through it. It's about 1 1/2" around.

On the inside of the hole, there is a hole in the side wall going into the rock.

Today I say something moving in the hole. It looked kind of like my abalone trying to poke its head through the hole.

Then I took a closer look, and it turned out to be what looked like SPIDER legs coming out the side of the hole, moving around some sort of molting.

There were about 3 or 4 legs, and thats all that was showing. They moved the molt around and pushed it out the back side of the pass thru hole (I am going to try to retrieve it).

They did not look like crab legs. If you were to look at Tarantula legs, that is what thy looked like, only smaller.

After pushing the molt out, the legs retracted back into the rock.

Is anyone aware of some kind of creature that lives in LR holes and has legs that look like a spider?

 

[roka64]

It could be a sea spider, but you know the drill, no pic, means we are just guessing...
http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm

 

[usmcmarc]

I'm not sure if thats it...does not realy look like it.

My first thought was that they were anenome tentacles...but they moved to deliberately for it to be that.

but you know the drill, no pic, means we are just guessing

I know..thats why I said it was a long shot.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Or maybe a small brittle star ("hairy" looking legs) that was cleaning out the hole looking for food? The molt might've been there for a while and it might not even be associated with the legs of what you saw. But as roka mentioned... just talking out loud here!

 

[roka64]

Kurt may have a point as well. Or it could be some sort of crab, can you try the tilted glass trick, with some food in it (if it is a crab)?

 

[plecoperson]

Saltwater is scary. Doesn't anything CUTE ever crawl out of the rock?

 

[MT79]

Doesn't anything CUTE ever crawl out of the rock?

What? You don't think mantis shrimp are cute??

 

[roka64]

Doesn't anything CUTE ever crawl out of the rock?

What? You don't think mantis shrimp are cute??

LOL! They are if you don't have any other critters in your tank you don't want them to eat!

 

[NoSvOrAx]

sea spiders *shiver*

Something like that and I'd toss my tank out the window....

*shiver*

 

[usmcmarc]

sea spiders *shiver*

Something like that and I'd toss my tank out the window....

*shiver*

LOL... You are like the people in my office. When I had the Arrow Crab (Which looks like a big daddy longlegs spider) everyone was freaky about it....

"What if it gets out??"...Well, DUH!!! It will DIE!!!

 

[An t-iasg]

I liked that arrow crab...it was cute! Did it crawl out of a rock? If so, there's your answer, plecoperson!

 

[plecoperson]

Oh, arrow crabs are fantastic!!! They can crawl out of my rock anytime.

Just nothing bristly or 3 feet long. Or with extending mouthparts.

[shudder]

 

[An t-iasg]

Or long, hairy legs....8O

 

[usmcmarc]

The GOOD news is it's not a Sea Spider...

The BAD news is it's a hairy crab.

It came out of the hole today, to grab at some food during feeding time. I can't tell if it's the mithrax variety or not... it's not green, more grey.

But, there is no way I'm gonna catch it. As soon as anyhting moves near it, it jumps back into the hole.

 

[Fluff]

Sounds like a xanthid crab. He will eventually venture out searching for food, or you can try to trap it using the tilted glass method. When small they aren't much of an issue but as they get larger, your snail population (and anything else it can catch) will begin to widdle away. Great clean up critter for a sump/fuge area. Good luck.

 

[usmcmarc]

What exactly is the tilted glass trick?

 

[roka64]

Tilt a glass next to his home, add some food, he jumps in and can't climb back out of the glass.

 

[usmcmarc]

OK..got ya. I was thinking upside down at first and wondering how that would work (DUH!!)...Well, the biggest glass I can fit in that spot is a shot glass...but what the heck...maybe it will work. I found another molting, he's growing.

 

[usmcmarc]

Give me a break!!!!...I found two more hiding in different holes...so now I got 3 of them!!!! And how much you wanna bet there are more?

 

[Ziggy953]

I'm going to go with brittle star as well. I have ton in my tank and there are some that seem to have their arms coming right out of the rock.