Crab death, growth found - help

[enjj]

A few weeks ago a crab of mine began to grow a bit pale. I thought he was just molting, but, unfortunately, I found him dead today. I carefully eased him out of his shell and, on his belly, found a large, purple growth (I will add pictures below).

I've had him for almost a year and got him from a pet store that looked to keep their crabs until respectable, though imperfect, conditions. His tank at home was 10 gallon, heated and humidified. I made sure him and his crab buddy had a variety of both shrimp/blood worm/protein and a fruit salad mixture nightly. I'm not sure exactly what could have happened to him.

If this kind of growth looks familiar to any of you, I'd really appreciate the help.

Thanks,
Kate

[Wai]

I've never seen anything like that before, unless it's a sack of fat and protein in which hermit crabs sometimes eat when buried. I wonder if they get tumours too.

[emmac350]

I don't know what that is, but when my Toodles died she had a bright blue blob on her torso kind of like that! You can kind of see it at http://thedailyhermit.tumblr.com/post/9 ... -the-worst and http://thedailyhermit.tumblr.com/post/3 ... -unable-to and http://thedailyhermit.tumblr.com/post/2 ... -is-no-fun. The clearest one might be http://thedailyhermit.tumblr.com/post/9 ... t-a-little.

Wai, any ideas?

[Wai]

Not sure... my guesses were either a moulting sac or disease (e.g. tumour).

[ladybug15057]

Emma, from experience with our hermies what your hermie has looks like a molting sac to me. This will turn a browninsh/tannish in coloring when they are very close to molting. The only other time I've seen a picture like enjj's is from a rupture, something gouging the abdomen. (that is how our King Crab died back in about 2001 I believe, which was from a crushed oyster shell and why I grind ours to a powder now)

[ladybug15057]

Sorry for how blurred this picture may seem, but to the right of your screen in Squirmy's shell you can see her molting sac.

[emmac350]

Interesting, Marie. I've never seen pictures of other crabs with that, I didn't realize it was a molting sac. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[ladybug15057]

I was surprised when I saw that myself! It has been said that the sac bursts when they molt and they clean this soon as they molt. It is this substance if not cleaned that can harden like glue. (very important not to disturb a molter) This is said to be their first step to their 'nourishment' for recovery. My error though, the molting sac turns a smokey gray coloring, it is the gel limbs that turn brownish in coloring the closer they are to their actual molt.