Poor little Coral banded shrimp

[Piscez]

Just thought I'd share this little story as it had a happy ending but a horrible beginning. Approx 8 days ago I purchased a coral banded shrimp, now my Niger trigger is a pussy cat but very curious, he doesn't miss a trick every new item that enters the tank he's got to check it out, he's never eaten or attacked any new comer. They are known to eat shrimp but he chooses to get cleaned by the cleaner shrimp and never touches my fire shrimp. I figured no problem for the CBS.... so in the tank he goes and sure enough my Niger goes to check him out. All hell breaks loose and the CBS tries to snap at him with his big arms and the Niger bites it right off!!! I"m thinking oh no the shrimps a gonner. The CBS goes at the him again with his one claw arm and my Niger snaps that one off too!i I realize that in fact my Niger is not attacking but simply defending himself as he then had ample opportunity to finish off the defenseless shrimp, instead he watched him up close for a while realizing he was no longer a threat and just swam away. I figured in the next day or two the CBS would die from the shock etc, but he hung in there and over the next eight days grew his two big arms back lol. I wish now I would have taken a pic of the before during and after but I was so impressed with both of them actually i took this one today:

[reefwars]

Yup the arms on a coral banded shrimp can drop at any time and they quickly grow them back , I think the big arms are to scare animals into thinking it's bigger than it really is

[Piscez]

Originally Posted by reefwars

Yup the arms on a coral banded shrimp can drop at any time and they quickly grow them back , I think the big arms are to scare animals into thinking it's bigger than it really is

Interesting I didn't know they could drop them! thanks

[Skimmin]

Yet another marvel of nature. Imagine having to "shake off" having your arms bitten off!!! And then just growing them back like its no big deal lol. Very cool! +1 on I didn't know they could grow them back.