Mithrax crab birthing!?

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Hi Dr. Ron,
Yesterday, I just received a Mithrax crab from Premium Aquatics. I acclimated her into the tank over a period of about an hour and a half. After the lights were out for an hour, I found her with a flashlight and her under belly was opened like an upside down car hood. Inside, I found all these tiny (about 1 mm, maybe 2 mm) green dots crawling around. One by one they would drift out of her belly. After a few came out, she would close the hood for a minute, get irritated and release some more.

Are Mithrax crabs brooders? It sure looked like it. Very exciting to see. This morning, she was voracious and ate like a pig! :)

And I'm saying "she" because that upside down hood of hers was very wide... this is how you sex dungenous crabs here in San Francisco! I figure it's the same for Mithrax crabs.

[rshimek]

Originally posted by Pinecone_Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Are Mithrax crabs brooders?

ALL crabs are brooders. Yes, probably the release of fish food, otherwise known as planktonic crab larvae.

And I'm saying "she" because that upside down hood of hers was very wide... this is how you sex dungenous crabs here in San Francisco! I figure it's the same for Mithrax crabs.

It is. That is the abdomen, buy the way. Basically a crab is a shrimp, flattened from top to bottom with the abdomen tucked underneath.

:D