Molting

Molting is the periodic shedding and replacement of an animal’s outer cuticle or exoskeleton. It enables growth and, in some animals, changes in form or appearance.

Ecdysis: The shedding of an animal’s outer cuticle or exoskeleton. Ecdysis is the shedding event at the center of a molt.
Arthropod: An invertebrate animal with jointed limbs, a segmented body, and an external skeleton. Arthropods rely on molting because their rigid external skeleton limits growth.
Metamorphosis: A developmental process in which an animal undergoes a major change in body form. Molting sheds an outer layer; metamorphosis changes the animal’s form and may occur across molts.
Soft-shell crab: A crab harvested shortly after molting, while its new exoskeleton remains soft. The soft shell is a brief post-molt state with culinary and commercial value.
Apalysis: The separation of an old cuticle from the underlying epidermis before shedding. This separation starts the process of replacing the old outer layer.
Insect metamorphosis: The developmental transformation of an insect through distinct life stages. Insects often pair molts with major changes in body form.
Ecdysis in snakes: The periodic shedding of the outer skin layer by snakes and other reptiles. Snake shedding is often called molting, but it replaces skin rather than an arthropod exoskeleton.
Molting vulnerability: The heightened exposure to injury and predation while an animal sheds or hardens its outer covering. A fresh cuticle offers less protection until it hardens.
Ecdysone: A steroid hormone that regulates molting and metamorphosis in arthropods. Ecdysone coordinates the hormonal signals that initiate molts in arthropods.
Crustacean: An arthropod group that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and related animals. Crustaceans commonly molt to grow and may also change color or reproductive condition.

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