emerald crab question

[juggalo124]

i bought an emerald crab about three weeks ago for my 29 gallon tank. just today i was feeding him some frozen plankton and he grabbed at it and then opened up the bottom half of his body and was fiddleing around with stuff in there and then he closed it.
its like a trap door compartment kind of thing, can anyone tell me what hes doing? Thanks
-Trenton

 

[meadbhb]

Hiya,
Maybe he's in the process of moulting?
Meadbhb

 

[joker_ca]

weird i have never seen mine do that

 

[snipe]

That would of been a really cool pic!

 

[juggalo124]

ill try to take a picture tomarrow of him when i feed again.

 

[sprang]

They do that a lot. It's kind of freaky when you first see it .

 

[mbrands]

I'm not 100% sure that the "trap door" is used the same for saltwater crabs as for freshwater, but freshwater crabs use that for eggs. If the "trap door" is long and skinny, your crab is male. If it is wider then your crab is female.
I have no idea why yours would be opening the door when you feed unless for some reason it has to do with giving nutrients to eggs??

 

[snipe]

beats me lol I am just wanting a pic lol.

 

[juggalo124]

im feeding him right now and trying to lure him out into the open so i can try to get a picture, but hes in a little crack and not wanting to come out. ill keep trying though, and ill keep my eye out for the next few days incase hes ever wide out in the open.
Trenton