What would happen if a hairy crab died?

[easyian]

OK, so I started a new tank recently. I added L/R to cycle the tank and the first night I noticed a little hairy crab poking out of one of the pieces of rock. So fast forward a week and a half. I want to start to add a clean up crew but am worried that the crab will start munching on my crew. I tore down the tank and searched every nook and crannie for it. No crab. I even sifted through the sand to see if he buried himself. No crab. I did find under one of the rocks a large glob of clear lump. The best way to describe it would be jelly fish like. Do you think it may be possible that the crab died and this is the outcome of decomposition? I'm kind stumped because I haven't seen this thing before and I'm missing a crab which I still want to get rid of if he's still there.

Thanks for your help
Ian

 

[Innovator]

I highly doubt the crab perished. Leave the tank alone for the moment so things settle and set a trap overnight using a glass or bottle tilted (not laying flat) with shrimp at the bottom. The crab should not be able to climb upwards and be content with munching a free meal until you can return.

 

[pat8you]

Yeah i am going to second that. My mom had something like that and she tore everything apart as well and got a big nothing. They usually find a nice hole or cave in your liverock that they hide back in when you try to find them. Keep trying to trap him like innovator said. Eventually he will get hungry enough to go in the trap with out any other food sources.

 

[lance]

I also dought it died they are crafty. And a hairy hitch hiker crab sounds bad. I had one that took many nights of searching to find. I kept hearing a tapping noise after lights out and thought it was a pistol or mantis shrimp. It turned out to be this crab was inlargering its hole. They will increase the holes size as they grow. If you know the rock its in a high salinity dip or fresh water dip might help bring it out .
Heres an ID site. After you open link look on the left side and click the site info tab and then again on the left look for hitch hiker tab. GL..

Chuck's Addiction

 

[easyian]

He is still there and now I found a buddy of his on the same rock. Now I have two crabs to remove.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Very nice link. At first look the site looks amateurish but if you dig down there is some great information there. Would do everyone good to peruse the site at their leisure.