Arrow Crab
Emerald Crab
Emerald Crab
Mithraculus sculptus
The Emerald Crab is most commonly known for its use in the Marine Aquarium to consume bubble algae and other types of nuisance algae.
The appearance of the Emerald Crab is a characteristic flat shiny Emerald Green shell and hairy legs, the Emerald Crab also has cupped claws that allow it to easily pull algae from rocks and other surfaces. This is a small species of crab normally getting no more than an inch and a half in length.
The Emerald Crab is native to the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. They are a peaceful tank mate that will not be a bother to most other inhabitants but has been known to eat certain types of coral as will most scavengers. Keeping Emerald Crabs with aggressive or predatory fish may keep them in hiding so they will never come out to graze at all.
Peppermint Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp
Lysmata wurdemanni
The Peppermint Shrimp also known as the Veined Shrimp or Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp is one of the most popular shrimps in the hobby. It has a well-known reputation as an eater of the widely disgusted and quite common Aiptasia anemone.
Peppermint Shrimp are native to the waters off the Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys. These shrimps are small, even adults rarely grow more than 2” in length and have an off-white body with many crimson red lines that go from head to tail.
Peppermint Shrimp are scavengers and pick its way around your aquarium and live rock to consume detritus, uneaten food, and decomposing organic material. They will also happily take pieces of fresh food and flakes as well. These shrimps have a reputation for eating Aiptasia in the home aquarium, they get this reputation because they are exceptionally good at doing just that. However, once the Aiptasia is consumed it has been documented that in some cases the shrimp then will attempt to eat soft corals and polyps.
Fightning Conch
Fighting Conch
Strombus sp
In this edition of Species Spotlight we will be taking a look at the Fighting Conch.
Right off the bat I would like to point out that despite the name the Fighting Conch is a peaceful snail that would be a great addition to most marine and reef aquariums. The Fighting Conch has a brown, tan, yellowish shell that is thick and heavy. The body of the Fighting Conch is a molted tan and dark brown, it also has two long eye stalks and a long mouthpiece it also has a sickle shaped operculum.
The fighting Conch is classified as an omnivore and will consume detritus from your substrate and clean and aerate your sand bed. The main food source for the Fighting Conch is usually excess algae as it will consume various types of excess algae and bacteria from the sand bed. They will spend most of their day foraging for food, this can also be supplemented with various prepared foods or even sheets of seaweed.