hermit crab got "jacked?"

[dbacksrat]

i noticed today that my emerald crab was eating what appeared to be either the body of my largest blue legged hermit crab or the molt of him (what is the term for the molted away part?)--is it possible that my hermit got "jacked," or is the emerald crab just eating someone's old "skin?"

 

[1979camaro]

both are possible...remember that emerald crabs are scavengers and there is no benefit to the emerald in eating the hermit unless he was really hungry (doesn't want the shell)...chances are its either the carapace (the molted part) which has been sloughed off or the crab died and the emerald was cleaning up

 

[dbacksrat]

hmm...with the sudden demise of the hair algae, food is getting scarcer....i guess it's time to target feed

 

[dbacksrat]

it is confirmed that my hermit crab was eaten by the emerald crab--i found the empty shell