Female Fiddler Crab Molting

[robertmarda]

Our female fiddler crab is molting inside our fish tank at work. She is out in the open and not quite free of her old shell yet. This is cool! I've never seen a crab molt and figured the crabs would hide somewhere before molting.

Does anyone know how long the process takes?

 

[robertmarda]

Let my try and describe this. When I sent the first post was when a coworker asked if one of the crabs was dead. Then I hear another say, no its molting. When I got there I could see a very white underside and it appeared that the crab was coming out the bottom of its shell. It looked like it had double its normal amount of legs and that the darker colored ones were part of the shell she was discarding.

Now, the crab is almost out and I can see that I was mistaken. The lighter color legs are part of the shell being discarded. The shell is open at the back and nearly off her. She has moved a little from the position we first saw her in. I also thought she was inclined backwards but now I see that it was because she was separating the bottom of her shell from her body.

 

[robertmarda]

I think she is now detached from the shell but she has not moved away from it.

 

[TankGirl]

That is really cool- I have just got to get myself a crab!

 

[Capt.Gorilla]

Give her time and let her keep the shell to munch on.

 

[ostrichkiller]

kepp an eye on her after she molts, mabey it is just me but after mine molted it stayed there to chomp on it's shell a little and i found it the next morning right in front of its shell dead. i don't have the slightest idea why but i assume it is me. but it would be a nice thing to look at anyway.

 

[robertmarda]

corvuscorax also recommended I leave the shell in the tank so she could munch on it. Right now she is on a plant a foot or so away (and up) from her discarded shell.

I have been told that some crabs simply don't survive molting, so maybe that is what happened to your (ostrichkiller).

Yep, crabs are cool. They climb over everything, including the plants. They climb to the end and cause the plants to bend. Often they end up upside down.

 

[Guest]

have been told that some crabs simply don't survive molting,

This is quite true. Molting is really hard work and extremely stressful for a crab. This goes for crayfish and shrimp too, sometimes they are just to worn out to live.

 

[robertmarda]

She appears to be alive and well this morning, so it looks like she survived her molt!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for posting that Robert. I was just wondering if she made it through the weekend. Good deal!

 

[Sati]

I didn't know they often die when they molt. Makes me cautious to spend much money on a crab or crayfish...

 

[robertmarda]

The last three crabs I bought (one is the female that molted) cost $5 each. I don't think that is too much for the fun I have watching them. Plus, you can take them out of the tank and let them crawl around your hand, arm, floor, etc. I wouldn't say they often die when they molt, just that some do and some survive.

I think some of the crabs I bought a year or so ago only cost me $2 or $3's.