Seahorse eating hermits

[April F]

One of my seahorses has apparently taken a liking to blue leg hermit crab on the halfshell.
Yesterday I caught her with just the legs of one hanging out of her snout. I figured she had found a dead one and was eating the body, which looks somewhat like frozen mysis.
Today I have caught her twice actively hunting live blue legs, in their shell. I've not seen her snick at one yet, but as intense as she is, I'm sure it's just a matter of time.
These aren't starving ponies. They are fed well and are fat as butterballs. The areas between the ridges on their tummies pokes out, instead of being sunken in like most you see. The eat frozen mysis daily, some days PE, some days Hikari, which they seem to prefer. About once a week, they get a treat of live brine shrimp, live ghost or cherry shrimp, live mysid shrimp or baby livebearers, whatever I come across that week. I've tried to introduce different items for food. Guess I've succeeded a little too well. It never crossed my mind they might begin to see the crabs as snacks.
Is this really strange? In my years of keeping them, I've never seen them hunt bluelegs before. Anyone else?

 

[DanU]

Not uncommon especially with H. erectus.

Dan

 

[Octoshark]

They have also been known to sometimes try to eat other unexpected things such as sexy shrimp

 

[April F]

I would expect any other type of shrimp to be on the menu, it just never crossed my mind they might start going for the hermits.

I *think* these are kuda, or that kuda cross which seems to be more common nowadays. They were sold to me as erectus, but I'm pretty sure that was wrong. Never seen erectus with spots, and these two look like they have measles.

Guess I'll just have to be on the lookout for some of the larger bluelegs, or even start getting the redlegs instead - something a little bigger she won't see as an appetizer.

 

[Jason7504]

I have seen my erectus eyeballing my red legged hermit or some nass snails lol but they haven't done anything though

 

[Bluetangclan]

Wow, I always read to stay away from stuff like hermits which might harass seahorses.

 

[heranatomy]

I have seen my erectus eyeballing my red legged hermit or some nass snails lol but they haven't done anything though

Me too!!! Like the seahorses get right in their face! Hahah, i thought it was curiosity...now I know they were hungry lol.
Although, I never witnessed my erectus actually eating them. Good to know.

 

[nanafish]

I'd sooner have my horses eat hermits instead of the hermits eating them. I had some expensive stock eaten by some blue leg hermits and I swore never to buy them g.d. blue leg crabs again. They are like hyenas in the tank. Smaller crabs can be purchased alot cheaper than the horses. I would not bat a tear for the crabs- Now the horses it is a different story