Unknown crab?

[120galtank]

Ok, the crab is all white, with no specific markings other than blue eye-stalks. I bought 5 hermit crabs from the local pet store and one of them looked like this. Then I found another one hiding in one of my live rocks, seemingly shell-less. What the heck is it and is it supposed to be out of its shell?

 

[Smitty]

Can you post a pic of it?

 

[120galtank]

I can email it, but I'm on an iPhone.

 

[lilmatty5dimes]

download photobucket. and upload from there.

 

[120galtank]

I'm not sure if this worked or not

 

[little_fish]

I have no idea what that is, but it looks nasty. I would pull it out.

 

[120galtank]

It goes back in the rock. It's a crab.

 

[little_fish]

I know its a type of crab, but it looks like an evil, fish eating type. I would get rid of it.

 

[120galtank]

I bought one just like it from the store as a hermit crab, too. But this one is out of the shell but only the size of like a fingernail, the picture was zoomed a lot. I haven't seen it again but when I tried to grab it it went back in the rock and hasn't come back out.

 

[120galtank]

What about this so-called hermit crab I bought? It acts just like the other ones it was bought with...

 

[Smitty]

Try putting a few various sized empty shells around his hole...he may just stay hidden because he doesn't have a shell to protect him. I've seen hermits out their shell, and they look like aliens. Once he has a shell, he'll probably come out into the open.

 

[120galtank]

Thanks so much Smitty, you've been really helpful!

 

[120galtank]

Try putting a few various sized empty shells around his hole...he may just stay hidden because he doesn't have a shell to protect him. I've seen hermits out their shell, and they look like aliens. Once he has a shell, he'll probably come out into the open.

So you think it is a hermit?

 

[OceanCrazy]

Kinda looks like the front part of a mantis shrimp too.

 

[Smitty]

It's kinda hard to tell from the pic, but I would think the lfs and/or you would have noticed it was something else when you purchased them all together. Let's hope it's a hermit crab without it's shell. :)

 

[120galtank]

Thanks everyone