Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) Pelagic Fry

[Domboski]

I was bored so I decided to take a look at my grass shrimp's pelagic fry under the microscope. These are a few days old.

 

[Josh]

How big are they?

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

Big enough to fit under a microscope.... *ba dum ts*

 

[Domboski]

The pics are at 100x magnification. They are probably a 1/3 the size of an adult mysis shrimp. Maybe a little smaller.

Nice Jared :lol2:

 

[lindsay]

Cool , amazing pics.

 

[jhale]

what are you feeding them?

 

[Domboski]

They are the food :eat: I'm surprised they are still alive though. Not sure what they are eating. They are too big for the seahorse fry :irked:

 

[jhale]

could they have been the 'mystery cloud' that was in your tank a few months ago?

 

[Domboski]

The mystery cloud or the pods we tried viewing at Josh's? The pods we had at Josh's were cleaner shrimp larvae. I didn't realize my lone cleaner shrimp was hermaphroditic. The recent mystery cloud is some type of pelagic copepod. My tank is loaded with them. So I guess the short answer is no

 

[jhale]

yes, I meant the pods you had at josh's. I did not realize you had solved the mystery :lol:

 

[Domboski]

These are the pods clouding my local tank:

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

Yes, cleaners are hermaphrodites and as far as I know, if you have more than one they will take turns holding each others clutches. I've never seen anything to support that myself, but that's the rumor.

 

[Pootie]

Yes, cleaners are hermaphrodites and as far as I know, if you have more than one they will take turns holding each others clutches. I've never seen anything to support that myself, but that's the rumor.

they can also hold sperm from a single mating for several clutches!

so if u buy a single Cleaner it is likely that it will have up to 5 clutches in 2-3 week intervals without another Adult shrimp present.

 

[teacup]

Domboski, what type of microscope do you have and how did you take that picture? Did you have a camera accessory to the microscope?

 

[Reef Reaper]

Amazing photo's and I also would like to know which microscope you have!

 

[spearperson]

maybe a dumb question: if the cleaners are hermaphrodites then do they need to have another present to have clutches?

 

[teacup]

maybe a dumb question: if the cleaners are hermaphrodites then do they need to have another present to have clutches?

Yes, you'll need at least two cleaners. They cannot self-reproduce even though they own both female and male reproductive parts.

 

[Domboski]

Domboski, what type of microscope do you have and how did you take that picture? Did you have a camera accessory to the microscope?

I used an Amscope microscope that came with a camera from Ebay. They have several different models at many price points.

 

[Domboski]

Yes, you'll need at least two cleaners. They cannot self-reproduce even though they own both female and male reproductive parts.

They can self inseminate but it is very rare. I have had one do it. There is a paper on this somewhere on the web.