Shrimp Massacre

[lilreefgirl]

So I got home from a day trip yesterday to find one of my cleaner shrimps massacred - torn in half, most of the head section was gone.
I cant figure out what did it. He's been in there for months with everyone and no disputes! :(
He was laying next to my anemone (he may have just settled there, but both pieces were found together there) Do you think the anemone could have done it?? The 2 cleaners groom him all the time. I would have thought if it was the anemone, it would have devoured him, not mutilated him....???

The only other things in there are my 2 clowns, bangaii, algae blenny, the remaining cleaner shrimp and a couple of small crabs. There is only one crab big enough that could be a contender...but I have never seen him as agressive at all...

thoughts?

 

[Solarfall]

Are you sure it's not just a molt?
If it's mostely transparent and you can't see the meat inside that's just molting which is normal.

Have you added any live rock lately?

 

[lilreefgirl]

Not a molt...definitely a mangled shrimp.
I added a few pieces of rock that I already had in a rubbermaid container that came from another one of my tanks.

 

[Smitty]

Do you think that maybe the other shrimps killed it. I've seen shrimp be aggressive towards each other.

 

[Solarfall]

It's kind of weird that it would be killed and not eaten.

Do you have a coral banded shrimp in there?

 

[lilreefgirl]

Do you think that maybe the other shrimps killed it. I've seen shrimp be aggressive towards each other.

No, the other one is smaller than him, and they were "buddies' - he's been hanging out under a rock since yesterday...he looks lonely.

 

[lilreefgirl]

It's kind of weird that it would be killed and not eaten.

Do you have a coral banded shrimp in there?

No, just the two cleaner shrimp.

 

[Jmck]

Sure you couldnt possibly have a mantis shrimp? If nothing else, you would have to say the crab did it, but like said, its weird it wasn't eaten.

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't know... Sometimes animals (especially shrimp) just die. Shrimp are not very hardy... I'd be willing to bet that it just died on its own, and someone decided to take a taste.

 

[lilreefgirl]

Sure you couldnt possibly have a mantis shrimp? If nothing else, you would have to say the crab did it, but like said, its weird it wasn't eaten.

It was half eaten.
How would I know if I had a mantis shrimp? - how big are they??

The only culprit has to be one of the crabs, but it seems very out of character for either of them. They just keep to themselves and dont even bother each other! :)

 

[Cottonwood]

I know animals get to acting one way and usually stick to their personality. But I'm thinking it was probably the crab. They are wild animals and maybe they got close to each other and he just reacted, ate a bit then went on his way. If a dog can break character and go nuts I dont see why a crab couldn't. Sure stinks though.