peppermint shrimp behavior

[davinaster]

Hi --

 

I'm a new nano-reefer with a 5.5g that's been running for about 2 1/2 weeks. I added a peppermint shrimp to my cleanup crew 10 days ago when I noticed some Aiptasia and Hydroids making an appearance.

 

Tonight I observed it putting its long, super-bendy appendages (wow, that was embarrassing for a woman with a degree in marine biology, but it's late, and I don't have time to do more research on peppermint shrimp anatomy ) inside its body.

 

Is this common behavior? Is it healthy? All of my water parameters are normal.

 

Thanks!

[SaltyDawg]

It put its fealers into the aptasia? Probably tasting it for a later meal.

[davinaster]

Thanks for your reply. I was tired and not clear. The peppermint shrimp put its appendages inside its *own* body. It turned out that it was molting, which was my best guess by the time I went to bed last night. This morning I pulled its molt off the intake, and observed a shiny, happy shrimp picking algae off a rock :-)

 

I'm not in front of my tank right now, but the appendages I'm referring to are not antennae. They look like legs, but then they seem almost prehensile (a better word than "super-bendy", I think) rather than jointed. Does any one know what they are called or their function?

[kamalehi]

i dont know what they are called but is completely normal.mine does that and they are as long as the shrimp itself.they are usually bent back until the shrimp has use for them.