Some Newbie Questions About Crabs

[Gauge]

Alrighty, I've got some questions about crabs, and no one is allowed at how uninformed they make me sound ...

1) I've always heard that all crabs can regrow legs that they lose. Is this true of all crabs? Any exceptions? Do they ALWAYS grow the legs back, or is it just a possibility? Do they just spring out when the crab molts?

2) I have an anemone crab and used to have a bubbletip anemone. The crab never even looked twice at the anemone. He had nothing to do with it. Is this normal? Do they only like certain kinds of anemones? Does their name have nothing to do with their behavior?

3) I have a bit of bubble algae in my tank. It's not out of control, but it's starting to spread some. I have an emerald crab and he's been in there for a little over a month and he hasn't even touched the bubble algae. The LFS told me that they are just kind of "hit and miss" with eating bubble algae. They said that some of them do eat it and some of them don't. This sounds like a ploy to get me to buy another emerald crab. What do you guys think?

 

[mojoreef]

Good Questions Gauge, I will take a stab at them for ya.
1. Its not a given on the legs, it depends of the nature of the injury. ALso Front claws are more likely to not regrow. Its a hit and miss. On the molting process, the new legs are grwon before the crab sheds the old ones, the shell of the new legs is just really soft and doesnt harden until it hit the water

2.On the anenome crabs its a hit and miss to. Just like with clown fish some will some wont, some will only do certian ones and so on.

3. Emerald crabs are known to eat bubble algae, but as with most algae eaters they will eat hair type algaes first if its available (its a more tender source of food).


Mike

 

[Gauge]

Wow, thanks a bunch. You left me with no questions remaining.