My poor Stone Crab has been raised on shrimp and flounder (poor guy) since he was rescued from the drying driftwood last fall. But last week the storms dislodged some barnacles and he had fresh shellfish for the very first time! I found a little clan of shells on the tip of a bamboo stalk and he attacked it like a kid with cotton candy when I dipped it in the aquarium.
Barnacles on a stick
The tank was littered with little shells within minutes and he crawled under the giant cockerel shell for a siesta.
Yummy!
But two days later he had completely removed every pebble from his corner of the little tank. No mean feat when each little rock has to be transported individually to the other side of the aquarium!
And he started to molt, again.
The next morning I was confused when I looked at the tank, he seemed to be sitting on top of his driftwood – normally he hides for a few days after molting.
Then I discovered he had carefully taken his discarded shell and arranged it on the top of his driftwood!!!! What????
I left it just as he arranged it, but the next morning it was dismembered and scattered throughout the tank. What?????
Ouch
I doubt anyone has made a study of crab behavior that would explain this bizarre action.
But then I doubt there are many people with a little crab in a tank next to the computer observing the daily comings and goings of an adolescent Stone Crab….
Absolutely bizarre – maybe I should write a children’s book about my little under-water spider….. “Charlotte’s Shell”
But who would believe it??
My decorator crab
