Hermit Crab Question

[Magickiwi]

I have a number of very large hermits in my aquarium, one of which uses a turbo snail shell the size of a large walnut. This morning I saw it perched atop my stag coral without its shell and was covered in a milky white substance. I thought it may be dead and rotting so I grabbed some tongs and when I went to remove it the crab ran like hell.

Was it exhibiting breeding behavior? Was it in the process of dying slowly? No pictures as I thought it was dead when I reached for it.

I didn't see its normal shell so I placed another large empty turbo shell in the last place I saw it in case it just lost a fight for it's previous one. I'd hate to see the crab this one lost to though as even without its shell it is close to the same size as my index finger....

[FishyFishy!]

Maybe it was exhibiting some wierd tribal/cult-like ritual. Kinda like the lion king when the lion gets held up in the air by the monkey on that rock ledge. Only with a little bit of exhibitionosim due to the lack of clothes.

But on a serious note... that is very odd. Never seen anything like that before. It probably lost a battle for its home and was looking for a new one.

[Coralgurl]

Maybe it was changing shells and lost both in the transfer??? I watched mine change and they get them lined up just so, then hop over, usually on the sand, but maybe he was feeling adventurous.....

[Magickiwi]

Yeah, nudist hermit crabs. Definitely a designer breed...

Hopefully it found a shell to occupy because it was one of the more impressive ones in my tank. Like I said I would like to see the one it lost its shell to.

[Dearth]

I have three large hermits in my tank and have actually seen that behaviour before no idea what causes it but they drop their shell and run butt assed nekkid around the tank for a day or so then collect their shell again

Mayhaps they are moulting its only thing I can think of