Did my coral shrimp kill my emerald crab or did it molt?

[jeffnewt]

Well,, I don't know. I know the hermit crabs molt, and I know dungeness crabs molt, but this time I am not sure if I am looking at a molted exoskeleton, or a dead body

I cant figure out how he would have gotton out of here... theres no way to open it.. but it is hollow.Couldn't have been in the tank "dead" for more then a day so there must have been some tissue left.

thoughts?

 

[soyadrink]

Thats a molt...

 

[jeffnewt]

but It doesn't open up at all- I was thinking its a molt but useally the "buttflap" is unhinged

 

[surf_buddy]

I had this happen as well about 6 months ago and I haven't seen my emerald crab since. I wonder if something ate it from the inside out?

 

[taichimaster]

I haven't seen my emerald crab for over a month also. Not even sure what happened to it. I did see a hitchhiker crab though. Maybe the hitchhiker ate the emerald.

 

[jeffnewt]

What I noticed first was that the eye sockets are totally intact in the back. Theres no way his eyes "molted" forward lol.

 

[soyadrink]

thats why I thought it might be a molt because no eyes at all but now that I look again it seems like its the whole skeleton?

 

[trido]

In three year Ive never had an emerald crab live more than a couple months and I dont have crab predators. I quit buying them nearly two ago. Dont be so quick to point the finger at your shrimp. Sometimes tank critters die just because....