Is It Normal for Fiddler Crabs to Lose Their Limbs?

Question

I bought a pair of fiddler crabs 3 days ago. This morning, one crab lost all his limbs (both claws and legs) except for two legs. His limbs are just floating around in the water.

I was just wondering if anyone has any idea what happened and is my crab going to die?

Thanks.

Answer 1

It is unlikely to survive as it won't be able to feed itself.

Fiddler crabs are highly territorial, especially the males, and shouldn't be kept in pairs. They are not fully aquatic either. Take the injured crab back to the store and demand your money back.

Answer 2

Yes, fiddler crabs like can lose their limbs from fighting with each other over territory, food or mate. They usually survive losing a limb or two and will regrow them the next time they moult.

But losing more than a couple of limbs will lessen it's ability to defend themselves and might not be able to survive, to help him along move him to a separate tank, that way he will have a better chance is surviving and regrowing his limbs.

good luck

Answer 3

In order to increase in size, these animals must periodically shed (called molt or ecdysis) their old exoskeleton, then expand a new, soft, pliant exoskeleton that has been formed beneath the old one. The length of time from one molt to the next is called the intermolt cycle. The length of the cycle is variable and determined by time of year, nutritional status, and other factors including whether or not the animal is regenerating a limb. Regeneration is a special type of growth found in many crustaceans. In the fiddler crab Uca pugilator, limbs that are lost due to injury or predation and as a result of the reflexive autotomy response, can be regenerated completely during a single intermolt cycle.