I generally try not to pop them on removal. Sometimes they just pop though by the time you get them off the rock. Whether they release spores or not just means you'll have to tweeze out some more down the road. But you didn't really want to have nothing to do though, right? Otherwise you might get bored.
My tangs don't touch them. Emerald crabs are reputed to munch on them, but I suspect they won't go for the real big ones.
I've tried emerald crabs a few times and unfortunately in my experience they just disappeared into the rockwork never to be seen again.