Holy Gorilla Crabs Batman!

[-=Efrain=-]

This guy is the size of a half dollar and he was just parked on my rock dead! I could not believe my eyes when I saw him today after going to pay Racenrich a visit and picking up a few frags. So I grabbed it and positioned it on the sand for his mug shot.. This is the 2nd Gorilla Crab in the last 6 months.. The question is how did it die and why didn't my hermits make a great meal out of it..

 

[PayasoDelMar]

Lets make a bet. I bet you that gorilla crab isn't really dead, and you took a wonderful picture of its molt.

 

[PayasoDelMar]

(Btw if it molted, the real thing is actually bigger now!)

 

[ReefKeepersCorner]

It could be a shedding. It does look limp/empty the way it is just sitting there.

 

[PayasoDelMar]

Yea..two days ago happened to me, saw a dead fish on the carpet, and a giant molt of a crab in the middle of the tank.

 

[ReefKeepersCorner]

Been there too many times(although sometimes the fish aren't on the carpet). From now on, its dry rock and QT for me!

 

[-=Efrain=-]

I wanted to make sure it wasn't a molt so I picked it out of the tank and it felt like it had some weight to it. Then I put on the surgeons mask and got out the scalpel and preceded with the autopsy and though I didn't find any guts it doesn't look like an empty shell to me.. Every thing was solid. I may be wrong but if its a molt its a pretty solid one..

 

[46cobraguy]

how did the fish get on the carpet? did it j ump to get away from the gorilla or wat?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yup, definately the molt. "Where's the meat?" You have one HUGE monster of a LIVE crab still in your tank!

 

[-=Efrain=-]

I cut into one of the claws and it was solid and full of meat or muscle.. I was able to push on the under side and make the legs bend in like muscle tissue was still connected and working.. But its my first time getting a close look at one of these guys..

 

[Pufferpunk]

I still think it's the moult (that's why the hermits didn't bother with it). Especially since you've seen this before. 6 months is about right... I'd be in denial too if there was a prospect of having to tear apart my tank looking for one.

 

[dohc97]

I believe Jeni is correct, that looks like only a molt, when i had an emerald crab its molts always looked like that. the legs and claws for some reason seemed to have something more than a shell left over. Hope we are wrong though and that crab is dead

 

[-=Efrain=-]

Time to bust out the old crab trap..

 

[Pufferpunk]

I'm afraid I'm not wrong on this one--I've seen a lot of moults, starting with tarantulas I kept, when I was young. I wish you a speady trapping!

 

[ReefKeepersCorner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11954116#post11954116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
I'm afraid I'm not wrong on this one--I've seen a lot of moults, starting with tarantulas I kept, when I was young. I wish you a speady trapping!

+1
Seen too many over too long of a period of time. Hope you get him quick and easy. Good luck.

 

[prugs]

All I ever use to catch gorilla crabs is a flashlight & a hemostat. They always come out at night.

 

[slammer3166]

Well if thats the moult it looks cool real crab must look awesome lol and big I like it.

 

[Pufferpunk]

if you feel like giving it to my mantis shrimp, it could be interesting!

 

[Mojo Jojo]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Hey E dang bro sorry to see this. Take it from PayasoDelMar I went to his house for a crack rock rampage. We killed one crab, and a week later we come to find there was another. Truly does blow to see them, but maybe want to consider the rock rampage? :hammer:

 

[Sullyman]

Red light at night.