Missing an eye, can it regrow?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:09 pm

I was at Petco today and found a small PP with a missing eye, his left. I asked the manager if he would let me adopt him, no cost, and he said yes. It looks like an old injury, the stalk is just hollow. Does anyone here know if a LHC can regrow a missing eye during a molt?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:27 pm

The eye cannot grow back

Sorry

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:28 pm

I've heard that they can re-grow eyestocks/eyes. I have a blind crab, and when I posted a thread about it on here, many of the other members told me that when my crab will molt, she will gain her eye sight back.
So yes, they should be able to re-grow eyes. Sorry if I'm wrong, but that's just what I've read other people say.

HERMEZ · Post by **HERMEZ** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:46 am

it really depends.........it may or may not- I have had both happen- it can however live a great life in your tank with or without the eye

Thanks for lovin the lil crabbie --good save

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:03 am

I believe that Robin of crabbytalk had a crab that regenerated an eye

bksbuddha · Post by **bksbuddha** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:26 pm

Nice save on the little one-eye. It's been said that it depends on the damage & it could take several molts. But in the end, does it really matter. Because ya saved him/her, I doubt that you are put off by it. So, kudos to you for a terrific save! [smilie=cheer.gif]
Btw, [smilie=congrats.gif] on the new baby!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 3:19 pm

Thanks everyone for your responses! I'm so glad to hear that some have had success and that it is at least possible for some crabs to regrow an eye. My daughter, setting an example for inclusiveness, named him Fig, passing by all the one-eye joke names that were suggested. He is a favorite already. He is pretty small, but is still the largest of our PPs. He is active and curious. We are looking forward to watching his progress and hoping the best for him when he decides to molt. I will post when he molts and let you know how it goes. We will love him and enjoy him, regardless of eyes, and we are glad we added him to our crabby family.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:22 pm

Well, I guess I'm going to be finding out if Fig can regrow some or all of his missing eye. He dug under two weeks ago. I'm sure he is molting. He was doing really well before he went down so I have high hopes for him! I will post again when he comes up. Wish him luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:38 pm

I did some research into this online because I had read so many funky things about regenerating eyes. Apparently, it depends on how much of the eye is missing. If the whole stalk is gone then an antenna might grow in it's place, but no eye. If only a part of the eye is missing and certain ganglia are still intact (blah, blah, blah

) the eye can regenerate.

There's a lot of interest in the phenomena of limb and appendage regeneration since it would be nice to figure out if it's something people can do

Best of luck to your crabbie!

bksbuddha · Post by **bksbuddha** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:06 pm

[smilie=banana.gif] Go, Fig, Go! Hope he regrows that eye for ya. Just remember that it may not be completed in one molt...just a small piece of it.

That's what my little Peach was doing, but I lost her before I could see if she'd get her whole eye back. Keep us posted!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:46 pm

Well, little Fig's molt was terminal. I was so sad that he didn't make it. The amazing thing was though, I could see that he had indeed regrown his eye. It was slightly smaller than the other, but perfectly formed. I have also since then recognized that one of my other crabs, Grape, has one eye that is a lot smaller than the other. I suspect he had at one time lost his eye and has been regrowing it. So, it might not happen in every case, but regrowing an eye can happen.

Rhoney · Post by **Rhoney** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:57 pm

sorry for your loss, the little guys are such a pity to lose.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:52 pm

Yea, a crab can definitely regenerate an eye, but as peggycat says there are a bunch of factors involved.

Ladybug at Crab Street Journal had a crab that regrew one of its eyes and she has pictures of her crab after almost every moult, showing the progress.

I have a crab that has an eye with an eyestalk but the eye itself is just a pinprick, leading me to believe she is blind in that eye. She's my largest and has had 2 moults with me with no increase in the growth of the eye.

There are additional examples of eye regeneration in this posting but it's my recollection that its more more likely than not that the eye won't regenerate.

However, Big Momma is my most accomplished climber, so the lack of an eye, as with Captain Hook, hasn't seemed to affect her.

hermietastic · Post by **hermietastic** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:18 pm

My first crab had just one eye. He just molted, and the eye he grew back it deformed and not as big. Its really funny. He doesn't seem any different though.

Tetracolor · Post by **Tetracolor** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:20 pm

I've saved a crabby missing an eye before to. Everyone told me he would regrow it, but he's already molted and there are NO signs of improvement, but he is still very active and friendly and out-going so I don't feel to bad for him anymore.