Hey all,
I am new to reef2reef so I am not sure this is the right way to post something. I saw a negative interaction between my porcelain anemone crab and one of my hermits today. I could not find anything on it online so I figured I'd document it here.
My porcelain crab was chilling out in one of my rock flowers so it was suspended slightly above the sand bed. It was not filtering but just staying still with its claws hanging out of the nem and touching the sand bed. I happened to be looking at it when a hermit wandered by, just picking around the sand. I figured they'd bump into each other and then each retract once they realized so I continued to watch. However, the second my hermit touched the still, open claw of my porcelain crab, the porcelain crab grabbed the hermit (by the body, not the shell) and yanked him upward through the water column and into the anemone with him. He held him there for a second (while I was jumping out of my chair and sprinting across the room) but then the hermit fell to the sand bed. The porcelain crab retracted into the nem a little. I reached in with some tongs and grabbed the hermit to inspect it. The hermit was fully retracted in its shell but when it peaked out, it appeared to have all of its limbs intact and seemed fine. I put it back on the other side of the tank.
Like I said, could not find anything online like this. My guess is the crab was fishing for prey to feed the nem but the hermit was able to slink back into its shell and the porcelain crab lost its grip. I keep the porcelain crab and the nems well fed so I am surprised this happened. Perhaps its inevitable in a pico tank (5 gallon marineland portrait).
Anyone else ever observe anything like this?
I am new to reef2reef so I am not sure this is the right way to post something. I saw a negative interaction between my porcelain anemone crab and one of my hermits today. I could not find anything on it online so I figured I'd document it here.
My porcelain crab was chilling out in one of my rock flowers so it was suspended slightly above the sand bed. It was not filtering but just staying still with its claws hanging out of the nem and touching the sand bed. I happened to be looking at it when a hermit wandered by, just picking around the sand. I figured they'd bump into each other and then each retract once they realized so I continued to watch. However, the second my hermit touched the still, open claw of my porcelain crab, the porcelain crab grabbed the hermit (by the body, not the shell) and yanked him upward through the water column and into the anemone with him. He held him there for a second (while I was jumping out of my chair and sprinting across the room) but then the hermit fell to the sand bed. The porcelain crab retracted into the nem a little. I reached in with some tongs and grabbed the hermit to inspect it. The hermit was fully retracted in its shell but when it peaked out, it appeared to have all of its limbs intact and seemed fine. I put it back on the other side of the tank.
Like I said, could not find anything online like this. My guess is the crab was fishing for prey to feed the nem but the hermit was able to slink back into its shell and the porcelain crab lost its grip. I keep the porcelain crab and the nems well fed so I am surprised this happened. Perhaps its inevitable in a pico tank (5 gallon marineland portrait).
Anyone else ever observe anything like this?
