Gravid? about to molt?

Hi all, three emperors came home today, wondering if one is gravid or ready to molt. Of the other two, one is a male, and one won't let me see the bottom yet. If it turns out to be a male, should I swap the store for a female (good friend runs it)?

The one in question


Trip

Too me it looks like its just fat.

k, cool. Is that an issue, a problem or risk? Being pudgy, plus the dark line down the back, just wondering; of course, I could just be reading too much and not looking at enough pictures.

Oh, looks like one male and two females, is that an ok arrangement or do I need another (hehe, I know I "need" another, but do I need one for them to be happy?)?

Trip

Nope dont need another one thats the exact set up i have, 2 females and a male

As for your gravid/moulting emp its probably just fat because the colour of the telson suggests to me that its still a juvenile maybe pre sub or sub adult, cant tell you for sure though I'd need a second opinion.

I originally thought gravid, but I'm not sure about the telson . . . the lighting's a little off and I can't tell if it's mature coloration or not.

Could you post a size reference shot or one with brighter lighting so we can see if it's an adult?

As for the ratios, don't worry about it. It's good to have at least one male (it could be worse -- I have three males and only one female).

I'm gonna say gravid Looks like an adult and has the pudgy belle of a gravid scorpion instead of the streached out body of a fat or premolt scorp

Different angle, color and white balance adjusted, quarter (15/16") on a business card.

Might have to change my answer now....looks just a little small and premature.

Yeah, the telson has the color of a subadult and it looks smaller now.

Does that mean that it's too young to sex as well?

Trip

No, you can sex emps from a fairly early age. Post a pectine shot for us.

I'll try to get some, they've been in a hole for most of the last 24+ hours. I got one shot of what I believed was the male, is larger and flatter than the other two, with large and long pectines. The others are less than the width of the body when spread out, with short teeth.

Actually, they rather resemble

I think it's a little more reliable to look at the operculum -- see how in the bottom photos, the female's points to the rear and the male's is more or less oval?