Exploding crayfish?

Question

So, my friend looked after the class crawdads back in elementary school, and one morning when we checked on them it looked like one had exploded. There were two live crawdads left in the pool and then tons a little floating bits and mush, from the third.

I'm just wondering - is this something that goes wrong with crawdads often? And did it really explode? I just remembered this and was hoping somebody could explain what went on. Thanks!

Answer 1

I worked in at a fish store in my younger years and have seen many crawdads fight each other to death, often tearing eachother apart. I'm guessing this is the case as I have never seen, or heard of one, exploding.

Answer 2

I doubt that it exploded. As you may know (or remember from those days) crayfish have an exoskeleton, or external skeleton instead of an internal one like we have. So, in order to grow, that must periodically shed the exoskeleton. The new one is underneath, but it's soft at first so it can expand to a larger size so the crayfish can "grow". Until the new exoskeleton hardens, they're very vunerable to attack. What probably happened, is that the one shed the exoskeleton and the other two attacked it and killed it. What you saw was probably what was left after the other two had a meal of fresh crawdad (gross, but true).

Answer 3

if one died the others would rip it up and make it their own little cajun dinner -- they aren't the tidiest diners mostly because they have those big clunky claws to use as a knife and fork -- i guess it might look like the eaten one had exploded.

Answer 4

One probably died and the other two ate it.