Crab shedding question

[leesst200]

Hi all,

If a crab sheds, what happens to their eyes?
Do they leave holes in the shell where their eyes were or do they form a skin or something over their eyes and leave that skin there?

How will I know if it has shed or if it has died?

Thanks,
Lee.

 

[leesst200]

The crab in question has moved....or has been moved by another crab.:jaw-dropping:
I know crabs will eat ther shell if its left in.

What should I be looking for?:1zhelp:

 

[leesst200]

Well its definatley not alive!
Just been to make a cuppa T and found it has been moved again, closer to the glass this time.
I think it is a shedding from one of them. It now has some legs missing, and the inside looks like a skeleton.
Not a very good pic but here it is.

 

[pixl8r]

That looks like a molt to me. Nothing to worry about. FYI, when a crab, or other invertebrate molts, there is a hole in the discarded shell where the eye stocks were.

 

[leesst200]

That looks like a molt to me. Nothing to worry about. FYI, when a crab, or other invertebrate molts, there is a hole in the discarded shell where the eye stocks were.

There looks to be an eye still there and one missing.
Should I look for a crab with one eye?

 

[leesst200]

It is a moult, just counted all 4 crabbies!
Phew!

 

[RoseFishWatcher]

You get used to seeing molted shells when you keep inverts long enough : P

With bigger critters, (like my bamboo shrimp) it's really obvious that it is a shell and not a dead critter. I guess the smaller shrimps / crabs and such must be harder to tell, because I read a lot of people who think their crab / shrimp / etc has died. At least with my shrimps, it's very very obvious the difference between a dead shrimp and a molt (I had 2 die a while back).

However, I had a small crab in my SW tank and I could not tell at all if I'd found a molt or a dead one. Sadly, in that case it turned out to be a dead crab, since it is a small tank and he was never seen again.

 

[pixl8r]

The easiest way to determine if an invert has died, or molted, is to pick up the object in question. A molted carapace will collapse easily, while a dead invert is much more solid.

 

[leesst200]

The easiest way to determine if an invert has died, or molted, is to pick up the object in question. A molted carapace will collapse easily, while a dead invert is much more solid.

The other crabs found it easy to move also. It was in a different place every time i looked.
I have been told to leave it in for a week so they can feed off it, is this too long or should it be left in longer?

 

[pixl8r]

I never remove them.