Purple Reef Lobster

[Zip]

Hi,

I'm a long time reader, but I haven't posted much. I try to do as much of my own homework before bugging people but tonight I have a question that I can't find an answer too.

I've had a Purple Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus) aka Debelius' Reef Lobster for about a year now. He's very cool and his name is Dr. Zoidberg. He's peaceful for the most part, might have taken out a crab or two, but other then that a swell pet I like a lot.

Today I came home and noticed that one of his claws was missing. He had molted several times in the last year, but this time his claw is completely gone! I found just outside his cave and could see the meat still inside (unlike molting).

How did he lose his arm? The only thing that *might* have taken it off would be a blue legged hermit crab, but that sounds improbable (they seemed to be good friends!). The only explanation I can think of it either he cut it off himself or it feel off naturally. Will it grow back?

Anyone seen anything like this?

-Zip

 

[Reefried]

What else is in the tank as far as livestock?, and did you notice any rocks out of place? But its not that far fetched to think that the hermit took it off!, how big is the blue leg?

 

[GaryDN]

it will grow back. mine lost one when he was put in the tank and it was back when he molted

 

[JavaJones]

I hope that it grows back!

I have a question for you: what other inverts do you have? It looks like a great addition to the tank but I am concerned about the brittle star and peppermint shrimp in my tank.

 

[Gina McReeferson]

My guess is that something might have grabbed it or it may have gotten stuck in a rock or something and dropped it's claw, as "other" lobsters can do. It should grow back in time.

I've always liked those lobsters, they're beautiful, but we never got one as we were afraid he might decide to grab a fish, those claws scare me a little.

 

[Zip]

I hope it grows back too! I tossed in some frozen scallop and he wasn't very responsive ( but not dead ). It's a small tank, 20g long, with a few peppermints, a clown (nemo /cry), a Court Jester Goby (unnamed), a few scarlets, the blue crab and snails. The hermit is pretty good sized and had been in the tank w/ zoidberg for at least 9 months. I had a emerald and i think zoidberg took him out since they would rumble often.

For the most part I've been trying to take it slow with livestock and have been focusing on whatever coral I can fit in a 20. I don't think the Xenia took off his claw (harhar) ... I'll try to post some pic's soon

p.s. it was a clean cut and the claw was right out in front of his cave. might have got stuck in rock but unlikely imho.

 

[steevareno]

Maybe he did battle with a mantis or pistol shrimp?

 

[Avalanche1201]

hope it grows back,..im looking to get one of these guys for my 24g AP...glad to hear he's a pretty good companion in your tank

 

[JayM]

I've had many claws lost in molts by coral banded shrimp, and they always grew back, pretty quickly....

 

[Dragon2115]

Next time it molts it should have a new claw. That's the wonderful thing about these inverts, they get in a fight, get a leg stuck, lose some number of legs, and then go hide until the next molt when out comes a brandy new limb. Too bad we can't do that.

We have a porcelin crab that got caught in a rock slide and lost both main claws and all of its legs on one side. The nassarius snails were chasing him around the bottom of the tank when my wife grabbed him and put him in a crab-a-tat isolation ward. A few weeks later he molted and we had a brand new porcelin crab to let back out into general population.

As long as your lobster has a place it can hide and can still get food it should be good as new after the next molt.