crab question

[subsailor]

I have two Emerald crabs, and last night about midnight i got out my red light to glance around in the tank and one of the emeralds was vertical on a peice of live rock. It appeared that the crab had a big flap on his underside that was opened and he was just sitting there with this flap open. Just wondering what he was doing? Anyone have any ideas?

[ismvel]

He could have molted......I had that several weeks ago, and saw my crab later on.....

[subsailor]

no it wasn't that he was molting it was like his flap on his underside was open. He was just shilling there and eventaully he crawled down and scooted off.

[FireWater]

Maybe it was a bathroom break? They live in a shell man.
Seriously though, I have seen it before when mine molted. I thought something was wrong with it and then a couple of days later I found the empty shell. First time I had seen a molt and at first I thought the crab was dead until I saw it in the tank. I pulled out the empty and it looks as if they come out of the opening, or flap, that you are talking about. HTH

[merlin0883]

I believe the flap underneath is on all female crabs. It's what they tote their eggs around in. Don't know why it would be sitting there with it open--unless it has been carrying eggs around for a while with no male to fertilize them. It may have been just dumping the unfertile eggs????