Hermit crabs spawning

[geckoman2003]

Monday night I went to do my nightly before bed check of the tank. When I looked in the tank, I saw two crabs locked in a embrase. The larger crab was stroking the smaller crabs leggs and sticking one of his leggs into the others shell. After a few minutes of this, the larger crab push the other away. Then the smaller crab raised up on her outer leggs and started to waive her other up and down. After a few minutes of this, she shot out a puff of shrimp looking fry that were about 1/2 the size of brine shrimp. When I saw this I went to get my camera and turn the lights in the tank on (only the blue moons were on at that time). In the time it took the lights to come up, she had stopped. The larger one had crab a second smaller crab in an embrace.

I was able to get some photos the second embrase and the fry in free swiming stage.

The next morning all the fry were gone and the second crab was still locked in embrace with the larger male. They didn't let go of each other until late Tuesday night.

The first photo is the male and his second girlfriend. The second photo is the free swimming fry. They are the little white dots.

 

[miketay89]

That is pretty cool. Better get a lot of small shells,

 

[geckoman2003]

Yes maybe I should.

From what I can tell, they were all ate, sucked up in the filter, or died. I can not see any still swiming.

 

[camostore]

i have seen my do the same locking up thing but have not caught them seperating

 

[geckoman2003]

Well I will say this. When he is done with her, he just tosses her aside like a piece of trash. There is no cuddling for hermit crabs.:love1: