Mantis shrimp BIG surprise!

[Njhc]

I've been noticing alot of strange this dissipating in my tanks such as small fish crustations things loosing arms and thats just the start of it. I always said there was a mantis lurking in my tank.... Well yesterday I noticed my lawbreaker fish had just magically disappeared and was pretty numbed out after which I did a water change today in my nano and found this!!!

It's seems to be a mantis shrimp molt but both the claws were attached, this is a fairly big boy at least a inch long big claw which I would think would do some damage ! Anyway can you guys tell me if I'm right as I have no frugal clue where this skeleton came from and I'm hoping "if it is a mantis it's dead"



Do mantis shrimp molt both clad? Or did he choke on the little jaw breaker

Thanks guys and reefers

 

[TheZ]

Um. That is not a mantis shrimp. Looks to be some kind of crab.

 

[Njhc]

I haven't put anything new onthis tank in over a tear?

 

[SushiGirl]

Looks like some kind of hermit crab molt.

 

[jyxie]

Looks like some kind of hermit crab molt.

 

[Koshmar]

Pretty awesome looking. If I were you, I still want it to be alive. But it's not a mantis.

 

[mantis1437]

That is not a mantis shrimp. But it still looks nargly!

 

[sjmantis]

Whatever it is has some big claws :hmm2:

 

[Sushi man]

It look like stone crab to me !!

 

[Prodigal1011]

Looks like a Hermit crab out of its shell. I found something similar caught in my overflow grates, then found the empty shell of my hermit. Notice one large claw, one small.

 

[Koshmar]

Plus, hermits do look really weird and disfigured when out of their shell but that looks pretty large for a regular hermit. At least the ones I use to use as food....

 

[arioch]

Those are quite brilliant colors, but it does look like a hermit molt. Do you hear snapping noises from your tank every now and then?

 

[Njhc]

I actually do

 

[Reef1589]

thats a big one.. haha nice colors though..sucks he's eating your fish

 

[tymon]

time to take a flashlight out and go nightime searching.

 

[Koshmar]

If it's a mantis, night searches will do little good. Most hitch-hiking species are diurnal.

 

[King Nikon]

If it's a mantis, night searches will do little good. Most hitch-hiking species are diurnal.

Diurnal is active during the day.
Nocturnal is active during the night.

 

[KoralKeith]

Crazy colors

 

[Koshmar]

Diurnal is active during the day.
Nocturnal is active during the night.

Which is why I said looking during the night wont do much good...lol

 

[Dana42078]

Thats no way shape or for a mantis molt. Id say hermit molt and i kinda have a smaller version of one in my mantis tank right now. ill see if i can get a pic. Agree with everyone else.....go nighttime searching and see whats moving at night.