Pistol Shrimp Missing Both Claws

[Zakary2003]

I posted about my new candy pistol shrimp and Yasha goby just a few minutes ago, but just noticed the shrimp has no claws. Both claws are missing. Should I bring him back to my local fish store? The goby and shrimp had not met each other until today so I'm not separating a long term pair. Will he be able to feed himself? What about burrowing? I assume they will grow back, but how long might that take, and how much will I have to do until then? I am leaving town for 19 days starting December 16th, so I can't keep a shrimp that needs constant attention and can't be released into the display tank. I don't expect my pet sitter to take care of a shrimp like that.

 

[k log(omega)]

I posted about my new candy pistol shrimp and Yasha goby just a few minutes ago, but just noticed the shrimp has no claws. Both claws are missing. Should I bring him back to my local fish store? The goby and shrimp had not met each other until today so I'm not separating a long term pair. Will he be able to feed himself? What about burrowing? I assume they will grow back, but how long might that take, and how much will I have to do until then? I am leaving town for 19 days starting December 16th, so I can't keep a shrimp that needs constant attention and can't be released into the display tank. I don't expect my pet sitter to take care of a shrimp like that.

not sure about pistol shrimp but i think some shrimp can grow back their claws. i feel like i had a coral banded shrimp a few years ago that lost a claw and it grew back after a while but i might be misremembering. might wanna look into it.

 

[Zakary2003]

not sure about pistol shrimp but i think some shrimp can grow back their claws. i feel like i had a coral banded shrimp a few years ago that lost a claw and it grew back after a while but i might be misremembering. might wanna look into it.

Not super helpful or reassuring lol. Would you try to swap it out for a different one?

 

[k log(omega)]

Not super helpful or reassuring lol. Would you try to swap it out for a different one?

i would probably google search “can pistol shrimp claws grow back”

also i’d probably just leave it and see how does. they’re pretty hard to catch if you have like any amount of rock.

 

[Zakary2003]

i would probably google search “can pistol shrimp claws grow back”

I did with mixed results. It seems like if they have one small claw it will turn into a big snapper claw and they will be fine, and if they have one big claw nothing changes, but I couldn't find any proof that both claws will grow back before they starve or die from other means.

 

[Zakary2003]

also i’d probably just leave it and see how does. they’re pretty hard to catch if you have like any amount of rorock.

It isn't in the display tank yet

 

[k log(omega)]

It isn't in the display tank yet

i mean it’s up to you at that point. you can wait and see or give it back. my logic is basically giving it back lowers it’s chances of survival significantly by moving stress and having it in an LFS with who knows what other animals. keeping it risks losing $20 you paid for it, which for me i’d just keep it and watch closely and hope it does well. if it dies i bite the bullet and get another one. but if it bothers you then try to swap it out.

 

[Zakary2003]

i mean it’s up to you at that point. you can wait and see or give it back. my logic is basically giving it back lowers it’s chances of survival significantly by moving stress and having it in an LFS with who knows what other animals. keeping it risks losing $20 you paid for it, which for me i’d just keep it and watch closely and hope it does well. if it dies i bite the bullet and get another one. but if it bothers you then try to swap it out.

I like your logic. Thanks for the response.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

They can feed and regrow their claws over a few molts (probably a month or two); I assume they can feed themselves (though likely not very efficiently), and they probably can't burrow. They may develop either two "pistols" (snapper claws), two "small claws" (pincer claws), or a pistol and a snapper when the claws regrow (these should be clearly differentiated by the second molt).

Relevant source:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1542942

 

[littlefoxx]

I saw a random pistol shrimp claw in my tank about a month ago like it fell off. Was his big snapping claw too by the looks of it. But he is still snapping away, I hear him all the time so it must have grown back. Could have been a molt but I dont think so, it was just a claw. And yes coral banded shrimps grow their big boxing claws back, they will let them go if a predator grabs them so they can get away. Fun fact