My crab shrunk?
 

i know that this is probably an odd topic to bring up on a site like this but im hoping someone here has some experience. I recently rescued a real beaten up Hermit crab. half of her limbs were missing and and her smaller pincher (shes a PP) was completely crushed up. she had mites like crazy. she was in real bad shape. i was hoping i could bath her to get rid of the mites and get one good molt out of her and she would be better again.

good news is she recently just completed a molt and succesfully regenerated all her missing limbs. she looks great! but i cant help but notice that she shrunk? i didnt know that was possible. i thought they just grew. maybe im just imagining things. whatever

im wondering if im losing it or whether this is a real thing that happens and if so should i be conserned? is there a way i can fix this?

It is possible with a prioritized redirection of resources towards restoring the missing and damaged areas. With continued proper care, the next time should see the animal increasing in size overall.

You have to wonder why evolution chose to take away the capability of regenerating limbs from the later "higher" forms of life, don't you?

See that was my initial thought. that because they worried more about regenerating lost limbs they didnt grow.

however my bigger hermit crab also molted recently and didnt have any limbs she needed to grow back. she also appeared smaller. to me anyways.

Im wondering if i need to change something in their diet or add something to help promote growth. my third hermit crab recently molted too. she seemed fine and didnt look like she shrunk any. maybe its multiple things that might be a factor. like the idea you presented and maybe my other crab just had a bad molt.

:exactly:

To annoy me. That is why it did it. A massive chunk of humanity's medical troubles could be wiped away by that extent of regeneration.

It could be altered perspective. Maybe it only seems that way. Some crustaceans can become smaller post-ecdysis if they are lacking in nutritional resources. Opae Ula are said to undergo that.

It would not hurt anything to beef up their nutrition somehow.

beef up their neutrition? i might do that then. im wondering what theyre lacking as far as that goes. i guess its time to look at the ingredients in their food to see what i can add. or maybe if i need to just change the food altogether. like you said it couldnt hurt.