OMG! It's got hairy legs!

[smidoid]

Something I didn't expect has hitched in on some LR. It's probably a crab, but I can't see much of it except the ends of some hairy legs. Little bugger sucked itself down into a hole in the LR when I went after it.

Does anything else fit this bill? I'm thinking perhaps a hermit that's lost its shell, but I didn't think they could survive like this... And those hairy legs.... Urgh!

UPDATE: Spotted the blighter with a torch. It's sure looks like a crab. Little body sort of deep brown, long hairy legs. Kinda makes me feel all icky. Next job: crab trap.

[optical]

it might be an emerald crab. usually harmless, but some will have an appetite for destruction. they eat bubble algae though.

[smidoid]

Ah! Well something's eating the algae - there's a bit of caulerpa that I was hoping to seed in the fuge later this week but it's all but gone. I'll give it a stay of execution until I can confirm it's harmless. (Thanks).

Update: looks from the pictures like an emerald crab even though it's brown, it fits the behavior of clinging on to rocks.

[BubbaWPB]

It could be a gorilla crab...not harmless and a big PITA. Also a common hitch hiker on Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf live rock.

[smidoid]

Crap!

"Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water." (If you chuckle at that cinematic reference you're getting old!)

I'll go look them up...

UPDATE: Ummm... might be. The carapace isn't hairy, but it could be a baby one. The only sure fire way to ident what it eats is to see the claws and the damn thing's crawled back into its rock.

UPDATE 2: Went to catch it and it was missing. Lights on... wait... 1/2 hour later it's back. Now it's residing (rock and all) in the fuge!