Discolored hole in carapace

[Lephantome92]

After being temperamental for at least a week, another of my straws has sadly passed on. Before its demise, it wouldn't stay in any shell I helped it into, and even had its original shell stolen. At first I thought it may have been going into the dreaded surface moult because its eyes were pale. However, upon its passing (verified by lack of response to being touched, but not a fishy smell), I saw this discolored hole. Is it something contagious that I should worry about the other crabs? Also, is this what a normal abdomen looks like on a straw? I know they're more or less solid on PPs, so I'm not sure

[AwesomeHermit]

I remember some crabs in archives died because of those, but one of my crabs had those and regenerated a cover up of the hole within 2 molts.

[LadyJinglyJones]

Hrmm... how long have you had that crab?

Discolouration seems like shell rot, but you get that more on claws and legs, whereas that hole brings to mind a bird's attack. (Not that you can't have shell rot on the carapace.)

Shell rot can be contagious, but can be molted away. Iso, feed healing foods, & watch your other crabs for discolourations is standard treatment.

Some crabbers have claimed success using antibacterial baths using .... gosh, what was it... I think myrrh? I actually think that was it. Try searching shell rot &/or myrrh for more info on that, or for other treatments crabbers have used and thought helped.

I've never encountered it myself, only seen pictures & some sad, black-spotted brachyuran crabs at an aquarium. Rot can be spread via contact with uncooked dietary crustacean that is contaminated. May be interesting to look up how commercial fisheries deal with it, as they must encounter it where they don't want it at times.

Every now and then a crabber pops up on a forum with a crab (sometime a few) who has a spot on its claw, but I've not seen many shots of larger holes like that. Injury seems likely to me, unless you'd seen his rear recently & it was clean.

As for the abdomen... it looks like other straw butt I've seen, but I'm not a perlatus chick.

[soilentgringa]

I had a PP with 2 of those markings on it. The post may even be archived here but they'd healed over (probably via a molt) and the consensus at the time was that it was possibly a puncture wound or injury from another crab trying to steal it's shell that was closing up after molts.

For what it's worth, the crab has been with us for going on 4 years now and appears healthy.

***Edited to add that Wode suggested that it could have been from a parasite as well.

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[soilentgringa]

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... p?t=104192

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[AwesomeHermit]

My crab also generated the hole during the first molt.