Hairy crab vs. Reel - Round One

[fergieturk]

Well, some of you probably know about my struggle to rid my tank of hairy crabs. We've pulled out about 8 - some as large as a nickel. Last night my bf was watching the tank - on a crab hunt. He witnessed a hairy crab kill yet another scarlet hermit (those poor guys are getting massacred). Then he saw something that I thought was very strange.
Reel, my yellowtailed damsel, is very nice - so far - he gets along with all the other fish especially his buddy Rod, an ocellaris clown. Well, after the hairy crab was finished with the hermit Reel swam over and started "pecking", for lack of a better word, at the crab, then he turned around and smacked the crab with his tail a couple of times. A couple hours later we were able to catch the hairy crab - death penalty no trial.
My question is: Was this behavior from Reel a sign he is getting more aggressive? He still gets picked on by all the green chromis (all 4 even ones smaller than him).
My bf said the whole fight was pretty comical - and nearly died when Reel started smacking the crab with his tail.

 

[reefrunner69]

My question is: Was this behavior from Reel a sign he is getting more aggressive?

I doubt it is a sign of heightened aggression so much as protecting his territory and in this specific case, his food. Think of being around a dominant dog when it is eating, if another dog even walks by, the eating dog is going to snarl and growl and let the others know "this is mine". Same thing here, IMO.

 

[pdwire]

Do you have a picture of this hairy crab?? I had a hitchhiker on my LR that has survived so far. At this point, while my tank is cycling, this is the only live critter in my tank so I am excited for him to stay but if he is going to wipe up my Hermits (when I add them) I would like to know.

 

[fergieturk]

Do you have a picture of this hairy crab??

No, I don't. He was just a brown hairy crab that was eating hermits. People have varing opinions on hairy crabs, but I generally try to get them out of the tank, if possible.