Emerald crab Doing something weird.

[Brandon42]

So I was walking by my tank while it was dark and noticed my emerald crab messing with my candy cane coral. I flipped on my flash light hoping to scare him off the coral and the under side of its shell was flapping open releasing what looked like spours into the tank. Any idea what it's doing?

 

[Hobe Sound Frags]

Sounds like it was a female releasing it's eggs. They have a flap on the bottom that they can "flap" to disburse the eggs into the water column

 

[Naiad]

She was giving birth to her babies.

 

[Brandon42]

Sounds like it was a female releasing it's eggs. They have a flap on the bottom that they can "flap" to disburse the eggs into the water column

thats exactly what it looked like. the plate on her belly was flapping open and tons of what looked like spours or eggs i guess into that water. so should i expect baby crabs soon?

 

[Naiad]

thats exactly what it looked like. the plate on her belly was flapping open and tons of what looked like spours or eggs i guess into that water. so should i expect baby crabs soon?

Likely all the babies will be food. They have a planktonic stage that I have never had any survive past before. I also don't think our tanks have enough of the right foods to feed them. It is a good boost to your system though and a sign everything is going well.

 

[Hobe Sound Frags]

Depends on what livestock you have. They may just end up being really great fish food. But there's always a possibility that some will survive. Sounds kinda cool. I've never seen any of mine do that. Congrats you're a Grandpa!

 

[Brandon42]

haha wow well im really glad i happened to catch that in the action last night. awesome. thanks everyone

 

[Salty1962]

I've never had an Emerald do it before but my Acro crabs do it every couple of months. Shrimp do it a lot as well. Good sign of tank health. Cool catch!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've never had an Emerald do it before but my Acro crabs do it every couple of months. Shrimp do it a lot as well. Good sign of tank health. Cool catch!

uhhh. You have acro crabs?
I wanna see.

 

[Salty1962]

uhhh. You have acro crabs?
I wanna see.

I'll try to get a picture. I have 4 of them right now, 1 @ 1" and 3 @ 1/2"~3/4". With the fish so active, it's hard to get a pic unless they get to close to the corals.

 

[Brandon42]

im kicking myself for not getting it on video lol

 

[Naiad]

Here was my attempt to film one in a tank without moon lights. I made her mad a lot

http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/naiadstar/media/fish/20150330_230054_zpsq879tqsb.mp4.html

 

[helen ann]

Here was my attempt to film one in a tank without moon lights. I made her mad a lot

http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/naiadstar/media/fish/20150330_230054_zpsq879tqsb.mp4.html

WOW that is neat!!!
Yep she mad!!!

 

[Maritimer]

The flap on her belly is her tail. Just like a shrimp, she carries her eggs in modified swimmerets, and releases them when they hatch.

Your corals are grateful, I'm sure!

~Bruce

 

[Untamedrose]

That is so cool!

 

[emmahorner58]

Love❤