Horny Hermits???

[SubZero]

Maybe this is the wrong forum?

 

So here is the situation:

I was sitting at my desk in front of the tank doing homework :x (Don't Ask, I am too old and to busy to be in school) As usual, I ended up staring into the tank while pretending to read when I noticed my blue legged-hermit that resides in a white shell. It was routinely scouring the rocks, climbing around when something about it caught my eye. The crab rotated it's shell back as it reached for a higher ledge, when it did, I noticed what appeared to be eggs on its back!!! They were in a cluster and kind of green in color. It happened way to fast for me to get a picture, but I'll keep trying.

 

Is this a common occurrence?

 

Do think that any potential offspring would survive? The only inhabitants are hermits and snails at the moment (and one pesky crab that I rarely see).

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[chufa]

I saw a horny hermit at the LFS once. Its shell looked like a staghorn:P

 

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

 

I doubt the young will survive. Do you have any corals? I think (correct me if I am wrong) that they are planktonic and will likely get eaten by some corals.

[ricknbecky]

think of it a free food for your filter feeders.They'll love it. Plusthey will get vireaty that they normall don't see in captivity.

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Yep, they carry their eggs on their abdomens. I'm not sure how long it takes exactly, but in a week or two, about an hour after lights out, you'll see the hermit doing a rapid in-out motion with her shell, ejecting larvae. If you shine a flashlight you'll see them. There's no way they can survive, apparently they need too many requirements that an ocean provides that a tank can't.

 

When they mate, you'll see the male face the female, grasp her, and make an in-out motion (sometimes you'll hear a clicking noise). He is helping her molt, and then he'll mate with her. The female is most ready to mate immediately after molting. Kind of like us, we're ready after we take off our clothes

 

Tasha

[NanoReefer53]

Originally posted by chufa

I saw a horny hermit at the LFS once. Its shell looked like a staghorn:P

 

Indeed you did see a horney hermit. It's actually called a staghorn hermit. My cousin has one, the shell is actually alive and grows along with the hermit.