[Magickiwi]

I have a number of very large hermits in my aquarium, one of which uses a turbo snail shell the size of a large walnut. This morning I saw it perched atop my stag coral without its shell and was covered in a milky white substance. I thought it may be dead and rotting so I grabbed some tongs and when I went to remove it the crab ran like hell.

Was it exhibiting breeding behavior? Was it in the process of dying slowly? No pictures as I thought it was dead when I reached for it.

I didn't see its normal shell so I placed another large empty turbo shell in the last place I saw it in case it just lost a fight for it's previous one. I'd hate to see the crab this one lost to though as even without its shell it is close to the same size as my index finger....