Something slurped my conch and chomped my willow

[CMMorgan]

I had a very healthy and active fighting conch. I noticed his shell was in a shallow rock cave and had not moved. Upon further investigation. I saw that the shell was sideways, which was unusual. When I moved one of the rocks to investigate a crab took off running for cover. It was about an inch or so wide and it looked like a pinkish purplish emerald crab. No chance of a picture... ninja crab went into hiding. I do know now that this is what was kicking the sand out from beneath those rocks previously.
My poor darling fighting conch was now an empty shell. I also saw later that evening that about a dime size chunk had been ripped out of a nearby weeping willow. I have some fresh TBS rock in this tank. Any idea what crab would slurp a conch and chomp a willow?

 

[Purpletang92]

Could be a strawberry crab or a gorilla crab, crabs are aggressive and tend to pick on weaker individuals in the tank, larger crabs do have the ability to destroy corals trying to eat algae and other things.

 

[CMMorgan]

Could be a strawberry crab or a gorilla crab, crabs are aggressive and tend to pick on weaker individuals in the tank, larger crabs do have the ability to destroy corals trying to eat algae and other things.

Do I need to worry about my flame hawk or royal Gramma? Tony sleeps on that side of the tank.

 

[Purpletang92]

Do I need to worry about my flame hawk or royal Gramma? Tony sleeps on that side of the tank.

How big are they compared to the crab you seen ?

 

[CMMorgan]

It was brief but the crab did not look much different than a typical emerald ... but it was definitely not green. It was much lighter, in that pink / light purple family. The flame hawk is maybe 3" but of course, he sleeps cuddled up next to the rocks on the sand bed. The gramma is about the same length, typical gramma about two years old. Fred likes little nooks and crannies - like the killer crab.
I grabbed a red flashlight and searched around last night, thinking the little bugger would show himself. No luck. I then found a discarded shell that housed my one remaining blue leg this morning. So, it's like the villain in a 90's horror movie .. wiping out my CUC while I sleep.

 

[CMMorgan]

Identified the culprit with help from TBS. Bad hitchhiker.... Very bad apparently. So now begins the plot to return this little villain back to the Tampa Bay / Gulf of Mexico.