Picking fights?

jpontier212 · Apr 25, 2016

Today i get home and find this floating around my dp. Its the left main appendage of my banded coral shrimp. I have only recently added 2 emerald crabs and a royal gramma. Which could be the culprit?

jpontier212 · Apr 25, 2016

jpontier212 said:
Today i get home and find this floating around my dp. Its the left main appendage of my banded coral shrimp. I have only recently added 2 emerald crabs and a royal gramma. Which could be the culprit?

Those are before and pieces pictures.

morpheas · Apr 25, 2016

Did she get into a fight or molt? The second picture you posted she looks in one piece unless I'm missing something...

morpheas · Apr 25, 2016

You posted right before I did... Have you seen the shrimp? She's indeed missing it or did she just molt? When mine molts she makes sure it's close to a powerhead and scatters her skeleton all over...

jpontier212 · Apr 25, 2016

I haven't gotten a good look at her yet. But if she did molt, she would have the appendage right?

Daniel@R2R · Apr 25, 2016

jpontier212 said:
I haven't gotten a good look at her yet. But if she did molt, she would have the appendage right?

Yes. And if she didn't, she will get it back as she molts.

jpontier212 · Apr 25, 2016

I just looked at her. Tried to get a picture but she's not very photogenic. Her appendage is missing. But I'm not really sure if it molted or munched on.

FL_Reefer · Apr 25, 2016

I would say from my experience it was the coral banded that picked the fight and the emerald finished it

jpontier212 · Apr 25, 2016

FL_Reefer said:
I would say from my experience it was the coral banded that picked the fight and the emerald finished it

So in your opinion, not the royal gramma?

FL_Reefer · Apr 25, 2016

No, there very docile fish and will usually run from a fight. A emerald on the other hand wont

Maritimer · Apr 25, 2016

Another possibility . . . I.ve seen a lobster get its claw wedged in a tight spot - just drop the claw and walk away.

FWIW...

~Bruce

Naiad · Apr 25, 2016

Fun fact time! If a coral banded shrimp feels threatened/ spooked they will rip off their own arm and offer it as a sacrifice. It is also possible it got stuck in the molt and the shrimp had to sacrifice the arm to finish molting.

morpheas · Apr 25, 2016

No wonder they're p****d all the time!

jpontier212 · Apr 25, 2016

Naiad said:
Fun fact time! If a coral banded shrimp feels threatened/ spooked they will rip off their own arm and offer it as a sacrifice. It is also possible it got stuck in the molt and the shrimp had to sacrifice the arm to finish molting.

You might be right. There's a bit of clear shell attached to the arm