Strange Type of crab found in LR

SO, I was poking a flashlight into random holes in my LR a few days ago, and in one of the larger holes I found a crab, it was pretty big, body is about the size of a dime, nickel-quarter sized with legs. It has white and brown striped legs and white/brown claws. It also seems to have some sort of feather duster like things on it's body that it moves around as well? I sound crazy. It looks like a weird spider or something holding branches?

Any ideas?

I'm not really sure how to lure it out. The fact that it's scared of the light suggests it's probably nocturnal. I haven't noticed any polyps munched on in the tank, but I have noticed some darting and there may be an empty hermit crab shell near that rock so... I'm not sure.

I took a look at the hitch-hikers guide to crabs and my best guess would be some sort of swimming crab (hences it's weird paddle branches) or a dromiidae crab that hasn't put anything on it's back yet.

Any suggestions welcome.

 

Pom Pom Crab. Awesome find!!

 

Put a glass in the sand angled so the crab can't climb out. Put some food in it at lights out. It should crawl in and not be able to climb up the glass to get out. Then you can get some pictures and figure out what it is.

 

maybe a pom-pom crab?...the little "feather-duster" type things would be anemones if thats the case

 

Pom Pom crab


Anemone Procelain crab


Procelain Crab



luna

 

I wish it was a pom pom crab, that looks super neat. However, the body is a uniform dull brown color, same as it's legs, it's a lighter brown. I'll try the glass method and see what happens.

What sort of glass should I use? like a pint glass? and what should I put into the bottom of it for food? Just a piece of shrimp or something else smaller?

 

next guess would be a gorilla crab then:

 

success:



Those weird things below it's mouth look like feather dusters that it raises over it's head like little branches.

quite neat.

Still not really sure what it is.

 

emerald??

edit: never mind.. this guy is the same one tadded? caught.. ( i think its not reefsafe)

 

Wow didn't take long to catch the little guy. Not sure what kind he is though.