What the???

[frenzy]

:o We found this crab in the creek and are wondering if anyone knows what he is.I have seen some funny looking things but this crab is really weird.we put him in a tub of water and he shoots out a spout just under his beady little eyes.

[sarg]

No idea ugly little critter though!! where abouts did you find him?

Andrew

[frenzy]

Tweed coast

[Obi _ Wan]

frenzy,
I'll get a marine biologist mate onto it and see if we can come up with a name.
Cheers,
Obi_Wan.

[INTIMIDATOR]

hey frenzy
I thought I'd seen it all.
Any chance of putting something beside it so we can get a idea of its size.
I carn't even tell if its a him or her but im leaning towards a him.
Very interesting anyway
Cheeer's Payney

[frenzy]

It is 8.5 across the back .
Obi wan that would be great.I'll keep him for a bit and see what we can come up with
Cheers

[rockfisho]

Hi

i looked up a reference book; "wild guide to moreton bay." I believe it is a Common Box Crab but since its from slightly further south, it could be a different species of the same family.

rockfisho

[INTIMIDATOR]

Hi

i looked up a reference book; "wild guide to moreton bay." I believe it is a Common Box Crab but since its from slightly further south, it could be a different species of the same family.

rockfisho

Now wasn't their something about don't feed after midnight and don't get em wet!::)

[cqfreshie]

:o :o :o :o :-[ I'm headin' south fer me 'olidays ... an' you guys have a radiation leak.

I thought I saw them on tele somewhere (Nat Geo Channel?), and were called helmet crabs ... probably wrong ... what the heck.

;D CQ

[BilgeBoy]

Dunno what he is....never saw nuthin like it!!

But you can nickname him Squirty for me!!

BilgeBoy

[frenzy]

Rockfisho
you hit the nail right on the head.
I looked him up the australian museum collection website and there were a few of his cousins from the tropics.
At least now i can take the freaky thing 20km up the road release him and get some sleep ::)
;)
Thanks for the help .
You do learn something everyday

[Forrester]

Hi frenzy
Have had a look in 'Wild Guide to Moreton Bay' (Noosa to the Tweed) which has thousands of illustrations and the closest I can find is a pic of the Dreadful Spanner Crab (Daldorfia horrida).
Description reads, Large, with shell deeply eroded and pitted: claws long and stout, legs spiny, to 100mm across. Found on rocky and coral reefs on broken shell or rubble bottoms, often sheltering under rocks or overhangs, Northern Australia, South Africa to Hawaii.

Hope this helps
Forrester

[Wazzup01]

Not sure what it is called but I have caught a couple of them around the Gladstone area. Interesting to know what they actually are.

Wazza

[Raesen]

;D
Hi

i looked up a reference book; "wild guide to moreton bay." I believe it is a Common Box Crab but since its from slightly further south, it could be a different species of the same family.

rockfisho

Rockfisho
A common box fish (sorry crab) and a bit further south. I want to know does that make it a slippey eel, a luggage point cigar (given the geographics of your statement) or something to scratch, pack or eat.
I am not goimng anywhere near the last word of this post;D
Cheers
Pete

[Obi _ Wan]

frenzy,
I haven't forgotten mate still waiting. I was talking to the chap today, he says its a really strange looking crab. I have sent them copies of your photo's from which they are trying to identify the animal, shouldn't be to much longer.

Cheers,
Obi_Wan.

[Chezzy13]

Wow that is a freaky looking crab LOL..Good that your going to release him..;)

[frenzy]

when i let him go he buried himself in the sand real quick and that is probalbly why the arent seen very often.
He looked just like the titans mascot:P
Go the titans!!

[Obi _ Wan]

frenzy,
Finally my mate (Marine Biologist) has come back and said that the crab is a "Decorator Crab", I said what? without the decorations?, he said yes thats it. Well mate thats it and thats from the Museum Staff.
Cheers,
Obi_Wan

[kingtin]

frenzy,
Finally my mate (Marine Biologist) has come back and said that the crab is a "Decorator Crab", I said what? without the decorations?, he said yes thats it. Well mate thats it and thats from the Museum Staff.
Cheers,
Obi_Wan

Perhaps he's just a crap decorator and can't get the work? ;D

Pulled a piece of coral up once, which dropped off the hook as I pulled it aboard. Started to rebait, put the line back in the water, and rod in the rest, bent down to pick up the coral to chuck it overboard and the bugger wasn't at my feet where it fell. Looked around and it was scuttling across the deck...........decorator crab ;D

kev