Molting

[Sideburns]

I got some sort of smasher in a shipment of aquacultured live rock from Fla (gulfview). He is a pretty red color, although I have only seen his head. He's living in a hole that has two openings in the same rock. killed a clam and used the shell to block up the hole. Thought he might be dead, but low and behold he molted. I have not seen him, but I saw his carapace (right term?) floating in the tank. That was cool. you could see the whole outline.

I think I will leave him in my 75 gallon for now. Nothing but some snails and hermit crabs. He has only killed one clam and one hermit.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Given the color, he is a she Neogonodactylus wennerae. SHe will probably eventually turn green due to strong broad spectrum lighting.

Roy

 

[Zoanthus]

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[Sideburns]

Thanks for the ID info.

 

[Python73]

Re: Molting

Thought he might be dead, but low and behold he molted. I have not seen him, but I saw his carapace (right term?) floating in the tank. That was cool. you could see the whole outline.

I think I will leave him in my 75 gallon for now. Nothing but some snails and hermit crabs. He has only killed one clam and one hermit.

That's a bit odd, my N.W.s always eat/bury their molt. And you know that that mantis is going to snack on every one of those hermits, and every snail that is small enough to break open, right? Well, hermits are evil anyway. Good luck with your mantis.

S !