Emerald Crab eating from his belly

It probably just cleaning some gunk out, that flap is where she will store her eggs. So seems he is a she. My female Emerald had eggs then hatched them to larva which got ate, but that's where she kept the eggs.

 

This might be a good sign actually. Unlike most crabs, mythrax species have hinged plastron's, witch is an evolutionary marvel IMO. Do you have more than one? They will often clean under their if they are either going to molt, or if you have two she could be preparing for eggs

 

thanks for the info

should I get her a boyfriend

 

Looks like pg beat me to it lol.

 

LOL. I dont thinks there is a way to sex emeralds, so you might have to buy a bunch and just hope for a male.

 

I thought you could sex crabs in this way... if it had lines going across the belly of the crab it was a female. Where as males had two lines going length wise and pointing slightly inward in sort of a phallic shape. As seen at the top of this page Crab Hitch Hikers

 

He is just "take'n out the garbage" I have had mine molt several times and I don't think that has anything to do with that since he seems to clean out nearly every other day. Mine is about to get a new name too "Hellboy" since his claws are getting HUGE! I will need to find him a home soon it a coral free tank if anyone wants to talk trade. his body is around the size of a silver dollar or just over two inches with legs

 

Cool didn't know that. But then again my emerald wont let me see his/her belly.

Also that guy in the link is being a little paranoid about hermits. even if you get a bad one there very easy to catch, unlike other crabs.

 

I saw the belly of my old emerald crab (he would flash me regularly actually) and it looked pretty similar to the male crab in the picture so I assumed it held true for emeralds.