One armed bandit

I wonder if anyone has seen this happen. Is the shrimp able to regrow this? My CBS had his monthly moult and left his old suit of clothes hanging on a rock as usually. It was all there. I fished it out and threw it away. The next day I saw the shrimp out and noticed he had lost his right arm. I am not sure if this happened during the moult or if something else occured. I could not locate the arm anywhere. Will this arm regrow? Not much I can do except make sure he eats. I have noticed an increase in bristle worms but nothing large enough to attack him during moult.

thanks

 

I believe it will regenerate, I've read accounts that it can happen at the next molt to have at least a smaller version of what was once there back.

I've always left the old "suit" in the tanks to be consumed by the other life in the tank.

 

Correct. And in 3 - 4 molts, you won't be able to tell a difference between the original and the newly-generated limb. This goes for all crustaceans.

 

Thanks guys, that is kinda what I expected would happen. Now if only we could do that. I always could use a third hand.

I use to leave the suit in but not enough and big enough critters to consume it before it began to get gooey. You cannot tell from the picture but he has just about out grown my 120 gal. I have had him for about 4 years.

 

How big is he?

 

Coral Banded Shrimp

How do you measure a shrimp? I would guess his body is about 4-41/2 inches long and if he were standing on flat ground would probably be in an 8 inch circle. I can always easily find him as his feelers cannot be tucked into his cave enough. He is the only one I have had so hard to compare.

 

I always go by length. But wow, he's a giant.

 

My guess is his arm got stuck during the molt. It happens to stomatopods frequently, and they regenerate their appendages.

posted with tapatalk please ignore bad spelling and grammar

 

Thanks Stepho, while he has done his damage here and there I would hate to see him go. If we ever go bigger, he will be one of the first transfers. He does love his assortment of caves. Ahhh, the trauma

 

Anyone need a new arm?

Well hard to believe how they can do this but my CB shrimp lost his right arm during a suit change, 1/28 and here we are about three weeks later and during his next suit change its back. Needs some weight work but its there, unbelievable. The pictures were taken in the dark with a flash.