Crab ID

[BL1]

I just found this guy out on the rocks picking at some algae, hopefully someone here knows what he is. I couldn't get any better pictures because he's all the way in the back of the tank

 

[RIJohn]

Red Matrix Crab, I have two of them.

Deeper Red for body and claws with hairy legs

I think thats what it is

 

[BL1]

What is their latin name? google search of red matrix crab doesn't pull anything up

 

[RIJohn]

Hmmm one second Mithrax Crab, Mithrax sculptus, sorry about first spelling I always call them Matrx for some reason

Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock - The Package Organisms Scroll there list and you will see several photos of them. Hope this helps

 

[BL1]

Haha ok, now I gotcha ... Mithrax makes way more sense than matrix

 

[RIJohn]

Sorry I always refer to them as Matrix damn speed reading....

 

[BL1]

I'm not so sure it's a mithrax anymore, I've been looking at pics on google and I haven't been able to find any that even look close to this guy. The top of their shells are smooth but, mine has hairs on it

 

[Bifferwine]

Those legs don't look anything like a mithrax. I wouldn't trust that guy!

 

[BL1]

ahhh more crab hunting ...

 

[dcantucson]

Could it be a Sally Lightfoot Crab? Can you get a better picture of it?

 

[BL1]

I can try tomorrow when the lights come back on but, it didn't look like any pictures that I've seen of the sally lightfoots

 

[RIJohn]

Sorry if the ID was bad thats what it looked like to me...

 

[yote]

He's to flat to be a mithrax.And its not a sally.
But from the pics,the claws dont look to be very pointed.I wouldnt get to worried until he was IDed.
Maybe hold him in the sump if you can catch him.

 

[BL1]

no worries RIJohn, I've been wrong on IDs too. Thats why we're all here