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!!!


http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb435/exoticreefnj/e44ad276.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb435/exoticreefnj/c80c4287.jpg

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.

[Koshmar]

Well if you do search at night, supposively red bulbs allow you to see without alerting most creatures. I don't know how true that is. I generally left my moonlight on and watched the tank come to life at night. Mostly amphipods and bristle worms. Popping/clicking sounds can come from anything. That crab thing might have been what ate your fish. Good luck with the search.

[S13<3]

thats is a big mean hermit crab/molt, if u hold a hermit in your hand upside down he will climb out of the shell completely to right himself, u will then see the sets of legs/claws that grip the shell

[rambochu]

That's not what's eating your fish, unless what's going missing are slow, bottom-dwelling fish. It might be why you have crustaceans losing limbs. I'm surprised you haven't seen it during feeding times.

My best guess - it might be a left-handed hermit. I'm not sure, since the colors don't match up, but the size and the shape are a close match.
http://www.recif.be/article/hermit/Calcinus%20Laevimanus.jpeg

I have several and I've never seen them harass anything that wasn't wounded or sick (or each other, if one of them has a pellet or something). I'm surprised you haven't seen it yet during feeding time - these guys are very quick to sense food.

[FlammySnake]

Definately a hermit molt, and at that a hermit i happen to own a number of! Certainly not capable of incapacitating any fish, but i always keep my eye on them. Those are hermits i don't fully trust. Have seen them available much more often lately.

[AquamanSE]

Whats it taste like?

hehe.........hermit +1 Eating/attacking your fish -1

[Dr. Fish]

Those are some crazy colors, but not a mantis.