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Shrimp molting


SuncrestReef

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My cleaner shrimp molts about every two weeks. I'm always amazed at how they can completely slip out of their exoskeleton, leaving it fully in tact including the very fine antennae:

IMG_3572.thumb.jpg.cb1af94b9740dc7e64f3d14ae1aa644f.jpg

I always pluck the exoskeleton out of the tank right away when I find it in the morning. The shrimp always molts at night, and I can tell it's happened because he doesn't eat the following morning (which is highly unusual since he's a glutton) so I know to look around the tank to find it.

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I was amazed to learn they did that so cleanly as well.  Our skunk cleaners have long since been replaced with fire shrimp which do the same thing but it's even more alarming.  I always leave the molts in the tank and it gets eaten pretty quickly by coral/inverts/fish.  That's a very complete molt!

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