Photogenic Pocilliopora Crab

This little guy is surprisingly reclusive so I had to take advantage and snap a few pics when I noticed how friendly he was being the other night.

 

Nice images. beautiful coloration to the crab as well as the pocillopora.

thanks for sharing.

 

Very nice shots, congrats

 

excuse my ignorance but what type of crab is that?

 

It is a commenceral crab. It lives within the branches of the coral and feeds off of what is trapped there. It also helps defend the coral from predators. There are quite a few species, but without a clearer pic, I cannot give you an exact species of the one pictured.

Great looking pocci.

 

aaahhhhhhhh....... cool :]

 

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I think this crab is the main reason this particular coral has flourished. To RC- This is a pocilliopora crab, they sell them on liveaquaria. This guy was actually a freebie from RE on another pocilliopora I won. He was latched on with a death grip took forever to get him off the coral with my forceps without hurtin the little guy. This is also my wifes favorite thing in the tank, she has named him Johnny, I just stick with Pocilliopora Crab.

 

my wife named our porcelin crab cheer because of the quote "pom poms" lol

 

I dont typically name anything, the only thing I know of Nemo for obviousreasons was killed.