Gel limb after a molt???

[Cate1129]

I have a crab that was under for over a month. When I accidentally caved her tunnel in she came up. She has been very active since she came up. She is dark in color so I think her exo has hardened, but she has a gel limb where her little pincher should be. Will she need to molt again for the limb to re-form?

[Crabinski]

Yes, the gel limb will become a "real" limb in the next molt but it may take still another molt until the missing limb is at full size. One of my former crabs, Oscar, came to me missing his feeding claw (but somehow he managed to feed himself with his BP) and had a smaller but functional feeding claw after a molt, a full-size claw after a second molt.

[Cate1129]

So will she molt again soon? And she seems to be able to feed herself and she's very active.

[Crabinski]

So will she molt again soon? And she seems to be able to feed herself and she's very active.

Not necessarily. If the crab is doing well and the quasi-limb is functional, she may wait until her next natural molt cycle (smaller crabs molt more often than large crabs).

[Cate1129]

She seems fine, but she is small. I will just watch and see what happens. Thanks for answering my question!