Dr. Roy Caldwell Q & A #5: Infection, injury and molts

[moviegeek]

(Originally sent to ScottL aka [email protected] by Dr. Roy Caldwell)

Hello Dr. Caldwell,
Scott L. calling again, I hope this finds you well.
I ordered a male O from Flying fish express and the specimen that arrived is missing his entire right arm and club. It's looks to be broken clean at the joint. Also a chunk of his tail feathers on the same side. Is he in danger of infection? Are there other implications?.
Odie had her first molt last week and ate it. She's doing great.
Thanks.


Scott,

Wounds can be points of infection, but usually cause little problem provided water quality is good.

The raptorial appendage will grow back, but it will take at least three molts - about a year. The first molt there will be a small, malformed appendage that vaguely looks like a raptorial appendage, but the color will be missing and it won't function. The second molt will be about half sized and perhaps functional. The third molt it will be only slightly small and functional. By the fourth molt, you
won't be able to see the difference. About 10 - 20% of the animals we find in the field are missing a raptorial appendage. They function well without it. However, if they lose both, they are in big trouble.

Roy