Found half a shrimp, Emerald responsible?

[ArtsyAxolotl]

First off, sorry if this is in the wrong place. The description of this thread sounded like it was for more unique inverts but I couldn't find a place for just sw crabs.

So to make a long story short, my favorite peppermint shrimp was sitting on one of my corals holding very uncharacteristically still. Occasionally he'd flick his back legs, arch his back, and stretch his legs. He was due for a molt because of some superglue he got on his non-grabby legs (he liked to "help") so I assume that's what he's doing?

I noticed the Emerald lurking around so gave him his algae pellet and he went away, and I kept an eye on the shrimp for another 15 minutes or so before I got tired and went to bed (it was early and I was supposed to get up in the morning for work).

Cue this morning when I get up and find just the pep's tail, still full of flesh, sitting just below the coral.

This is the third pep that died this way. Just half the shrimp, still white inside, lying in the sand fully in tact. Head nowhere to be found. And of course every time, the Emerald is sitting nearby looking really suspicious.



Do Emerald Crabs kill peps if they get the chance? He's usually scared of them but I imagine if they're vulnerable while molting he'd probably take that opportunity to get a live meal.

I'm probably going to take him back to the LFS today anyway, cuz I'm tired of always worrying about him, but I'm just curious if they will kill other inverts that are vulnerable.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Emeralds can be very unpredictable. Some are die hard killers but IMHO, most are pretty tame. I have 3 (I caught in the Keys) in my 125g and my 2 peppermint shrimp and 1 cleaner shrimp all eat nori together if I set the clip down to the sand.

 

[nmotz]

It might be that the peppermint shrimp died of other causes and the emerald was just feeding on the carcass. Peppermint shrimp are not easily caught, for example I have a Peacock mantis that struggles to catch them due to their rapid escape techniques. IMO, your emerald is not the cause, but he is feeding on the remains (which is good, because you don't want nutrients building up in the tank).

Sounds like your shrimp might have been ailing, possibly because of the glue? Don't despair, just test your water chemistry and compare it to the recommended levels and make adjustments if necessary. And of course, sometimes things just die and it's difficult to know the exact reason.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

It might be that the peppermint shrimp died of other causes and the emerald was just feeding on the carcass. Peppermint shrimp are not easily caught, for example I have a Peacock mantis that struggles to catch them due to their rapid escape techniques. IMO, your emerald is not the cause, but he is feeding on the remains (which is good, because you don't want nutrients building up in the tank).

Sounds like your shrimp might have been ailing, possibly because of the glue? Don't despair, just test your water chemistry and compare it to the recommended levels and make adjustments if necessary. And of course, sometimes things just die and it's difficult to know the exact reason.

Best of luck to you!

I agree with this. It's highly unlikely that an emerald crab could catch a perfectly healthy fire shrimp (or other type of shrimp or even fish). Many people say they are capable of catching healthy fish and shrimp, but I have yet to see anyone provide video proof.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

The shrimp seemed perfectly healthy to me, although I'm not a shrimp expert by any means. The day before he was his normal self: came right out from behind the rock when I went to move something, grabbed onto my hand, and just rode around while I worked like he always does.. That night he acted different, so I don't know what happened. Maybe he really was sick or dying.

Regardless, the crab has gone back to the LFS. He lives in one of the display tanks where he's eating up all the algae like he's never seen food before. I get to see him whenever I go to pick up pet supplies. He seems happier in a bigger tank. I think I just didn't have enough space for him. He was fairly destructive too. Maybe now I can actually display macro algaes in my tank without someone digging them up