If a decorator crab picks a mushroom polyp to wear ,will the polyp die?If there is a chance he will destroy any corals I wont get any.TY for any comments or in put.
while its not common it can happen, but generally the polyp can live as long as the crab keeps in an area where it can get light and food. i had one that had a Xenia on it for a long time..
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If a decorator crab picks a mushroom polyp to wear ,will the polyp die?
Maybe Depends on the habits of the host. If the crab likes hiding in the dark, then a photosynthesizing coral will not fare well. My tuxedo urchin wears a trio of beautiful red skirted zoanthids and they are fine. They aren't "flourishing" but haven't melted away either.
The term "decorator crab" is a commonly applied name for a variety of crabs, typically (other families have decorators amongst them) from the family Majidae that decorate (actually camouflage) themselves with smallish bits of ANYTHING that it can find in its path. The more common decorators, found in the hobby are Camposcia retusa, Stenorhynchus sp (who eat tube worms by the by) and Xenocarcinus sp.
All of the decorators will adorn themselves with bits and pieces of corals, rubble, algae, actually, anything it can carry. They will probably not dislodge or cannibalize colonies of stony corals. They may take soft corals, zoanthids or coralimorphs. They also may tear marine sponge from the host colony. As they get larger, they become more destructive.
Also keep in mind that they are indiscriminate omnivores and are usually not friendly towards most worms, shrimp, other crabs etc. They've even been documented taking down gobies.
Now, always remember that there are exceptions to the rule. I have a pal with a smallish decorator crab who only carries macro algae and bits of shells on his back. He's never harmed a coral, fish or invert in the system. BUT..as a rule of thumb, considering the sheer numbers of "crabs", a real small percentage are truly reef safe.
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Originally Posted by penny
If there is a chance he will destroy any corals I wont get any.TY for any comments or in put.
Look into mythrax (emerald crabs) which have a statistical reputation of being reef safe when small. They too will turn on a master when large . Porcelain crabs are a nice specimen to keep, but are cryptic, usually seen only when feeding.
Sometimes we can't predict for certain behavior that happens when we mix critters in our aquariums. It's good to ask, as you did, but, we take a chance, sometimes with disastrous results other times with good results. Even taking into account the good advice from others, your results may differ. Decorator Crabs can be pretty cool wearing their various camouflage items. If you like them, get one and see what happens.
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Depends on the habits of the host. If the crab likes hiding in the dark, then a photosynthesizing coral will not fare well. My tuxedo urchin wears a trio of beautiful red skirted zoanthids and they are fine. They aren't "flourishing" but haven't melted away either.
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