Hitchhiker

**CarmieJo** · 08-25-2006, 02:56 PM

Here is my latest hitchhiker:

**wwest** · 08-25-2006, 02:58 PM

sweet, i love hitchhikers
Sorta looks like a Mexican Red leg hermit crab

**CarmieJo** · 08-25-2006, 03:04 PM

Look closely, at the rider on his shell.

**wwest** · 08-25-2006, 03:06 PM

aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, i can see it in the picture but not good enuff to see what it is. what is it?

**NaClFinatic** · 08-25-2006, 03:27 PM

I think it is... an orange plastic cup

**CarmieJo** · 08-25-2006, 04:52 PM

Sorry, the crab wouldn't pose,

it's an asterina starfish.

**wwest** · 08-25-2006, 05:08 PM

sweet congrads on your new find

**CarmieJo** · 08-25-2006, 05:12 PM

I thought it was pretty funny!

**NaClFinatic** · 08-25-2006, 11:09 PM

Hey cool, I can now see it in the pictures much better on my laptop screen! It was a little dark on the CRT. Usually the CRT is easier to view... Anyway congats on the hitchhiker! (I guess its a good one?)

**CarmieJo** · 08-25-2006, 11:49 PM

Yeah, they don't hurt anything.

**bubbletip** · 08-30-2006, 10:40 PM

Carmie, I am about 99% positive that is a mexican red legged hermit. They are great algae cleaners. I have seen them eat green algae, hair algae, brown diatom, I could go on, but htey do a wonderful job. I have never seen one nip on a coral. It is always cool getting a hitchiker you can keep. Mexican red leggers have brownish-red colored legs, with little off white spots on them and red antennae.

***Rob*** · 08-30-2006, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by bubbletip

Carmie, I am about 99% positive that is a mexican red legged hermit. They are great algae cleaners. I have seen them eat green algae, hair algae, brown diatom, I could go on, but htey do a wonderful job. I have never seen one nip on a coral. It is always cool getting a hitchiker you can keep. Mexican red leggers have brownish-red colored legs, with little off white spots on them and red antennae.

she was actually talking about a small sea star on the shell of the crab..

**bubbletip** · 08-31-2006, 12:13 AM

OOPS, I guees I should have read her second thread. Sorry no help here then.

**CarmieJo** · 08-31-2006, 09:33 PM

I should have been more clear from the beginning.

**bob21115** · 09-04-2006, 05:00 PM

I just feed 3 of the to my harliquin shrimp.

**CarmieJo** · 09-05-2006, 12:26 AM

They seem to come and go in my tank.

**Reefbaby** · 09-08-2006, 04:06 PM

yeah...I've got them too. They like to hang out on the glass. I read threads all the time where people say they multiply to infestation levels, but I've never been able to count more than 10 or so at any given time in my tank and have never seen the numbers rise....

**gwen_o_lyn** · 09-08-2006, 06:19 PM

Is this what we are talking about??

**CarmieJo** · 09-08-2006, 11:09 PM

That's it.

**Amphibious** · 09-09-2006, 09:03 AM

Nice shot, Gwen!

**Reefbaby** · 09-09-2006, 12:41 PM

ha! Great macro Gwen! love the detail of those things. It's so funny how they always have a few legs that are shorter than the others. I NEVER find any that just look normal!

**CarmieJo** · 09-09-2006, 05:21 PM

Yeah, mine are never even either.

**Amphibious** · 09-09-2006, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Reefbaby

ha! Great macro Gwen! love the detail of those things. It's so funny how they always have a few legs that are shorter than the others. I NEVER find any that just look normal!

Maybe, just maybe, that is normal and your perception, of that starfish, is off.