Discussion

[couragefirst]

Good evening.
I have a crab with only one claw, seems happy enough but will a new claw grow. Crab has shed its shell and is healthy enough.

I was informed thats its a halloween crab not convinced. Crab is white with black markings any thoughts would be appreciated

Thanks in advance
Paul

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Yes, it should grow back. It'll get bigger after each molt.

 

[Psyduck]

Good evening.
I have a crab with only one claw, seems happy enough but will a new claw grow. Crab has shed its shell and is healthy enough.

I was informed thats its a halloween crab not convinced. Crab is white with black markings any thoughts would be appreciated

Thanks in advance
Paul

Yes when it molts, should have a tiny new claw!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Good evening.
I have a crab with only one claw, seems happy enough but will a new claw grow. Crab has shed its shell and is healthy enough.

I was informed thats its a halloween crab not convinced. Crab is white with black markings any thoughts would be appreciated

Thanks in advance
Paul

Just to respond on the type of crab here - it's definitely not a halloween crab (which is a terrestrial crab, not a marine crab) or a halloween hermit crab; your crab seems to be a porcelain crab of some variety (1 pair of large claws, 3 pairs of walking legs, and 1 pair of "windshield wipers"). Porcelain crabs are harmless filter-feeders, and they are generally considered to be the only truly reef-safe crabs.

That said, for any ID, pics of the critter under white light are helpful (blue light washes out a ton of detail); if you're hoping to get a species-level ID on this crab, I would suggest taking a pic of its top/back/dorsal side from straight above it under white light (the patterning/markings on these are usually indicative of the species, so being able to see them clearly would be necessary for a specific ID).