Chiton reproduction cycle!???

[ginpang]

I've been looking for chiton reproduction information on the web and all I've found is either very summary or " research papers " that I find a bit confusing.
Does anyone know how long is their reproduction cycle? From what I've read it seems to be a seasonal thing. But in my aquarium they're popping out faster than colonistas.

So I'm wondering if in relatively stable parameters they would reproduce freely many many times a year ? Which is basically what appears to be happening. Or if perhaps they just lay large batches of eggs that may or may not grow at the same rate and therefore lead me to believe that there are many different spawnings .????

 

[Ron Reefman]

Pictures?

I've collected a few in the Florida Keys. The ones I've had are tidal and are even able to climb out of the tank. Would like to see yours. I don't know of anybody who has them in their tank.

Sorry, I can't help with the reproductive cycle questions.

 

[FishInABarrel]

Here's are picture of one that I've had for a couple years now. It was a hitch hiker in my 75 gal and I moved it to a 10 gal.

 

[ginpang]

Chiton reproduction cycle!???

Wow yours look pretty big! Mine are really tiny for the most part. The first ones definitely came from a live rock about ten months ago. I'll try to get a decent picture later on once everything settles , as I just did a water change.

 

[ginpang]

Chiton reproduction cycle!???

There's a few the bigger ones are between 1/2" and 3/4"

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IMG]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/667375dfaa450e9a12c50d94b5ef76da.jpg[/IMG]

There must be about 40 that I counted a few days ago...

 

[ginpang]

Chiton reproduction cycle!???

More [emoji33] popping up .... Little teeny tiny ones! jpg[/IMG]

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[ginpang]

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[eastlake]

Man I'm green with envy, I love chiton worms. Such unique animal and incredible algae eaters to boot, I know I'm painting with a broad brush as I'm sure there are some out there that eat corals and such. Anyhow, I've read that the radula on those critters can be so strong that the can lap divets into acrylic.

 

[ginpang]

Lucky I've only got glass aquariums!!! [emoji15]there would be potholes everywhere otherwise...


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[ginpang]

Had this view last night.... So it would seem that they carry around their eggs. As it wasn't laying them , and going about it's business of munching around. Turns out that these seem a lot more active at night than in the daytime....






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[Janetsplanet]

How cool!! I've got Chitons in my sump, tiny things. I'd be curious too on their reproduction will these little guys ever make it into the display tank? My display was dry rock only, and the rock in the sump is from my previous aquarium to seed the tunicates, sponges, chitons, and various other fun critters.

 

[Rakie]

A guy in my club has a metric ton of them in his tank, they look exactly the same as those above. They seem to top out around 1" or so. Insanely good algae eaters, rock looks brand new wherever they went. They're seriously active at night, albeit slow, but hide all day.

They seem to breed prolifically in his tank (which is a 120g, SPS system). Last time I was there I took home 4 or 5. He can flip over almost any small rock and find 1-2.

I'm hoping mine start breeding. Or I'll just snag a few more until they do start.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Lucky you.

I've collected a couple in the Florida Keys but they have all been tidal dwellers and live at the waterline. The ones I put in my tank climbed out! And my tank has lots of odd and more delicate critters than most.

 

[Rakie]

They're definitely cool little critters. He got lucky too, he must have had a couple from some rock or maybe even a couple that had eggs.

I could only wish of a chiton explosion, lol

 

[ginpang]

Chiton reproduction cycle!???

Metric ton ... Sounds about right[emoji12]...
And for the info of reproduction being mostly a seasonal event in the wild, doesn't apply to whatever's going on in this aquarium...

Now limpets and mysids are also popping up like crazy lately. I am going to have to relocate some of these as for soon the algae won't grow fast enough to sustain the population.




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[Rakie]

Metric ton ... Sounds about right[emoji12]...
And for the info of reproduction being mostly a seasonal event in the wild, doesn't apply to whatever's going on in this aquarium...

Now limpets and mysids are also popping up like crazy lately. I am going to have to relocate some of these as for soon the algae won't grow fast enough to sustain the population.

As far as whats going on in my buddies tank, all I can say is he keeps it about 75-76*. A lil cool, but it apparently gets his clowns breeding several times a year.

 

[ginpang]

As far as whats going on in my buddies tank, all I can say is he keeps it about 75-76*. A lil cool, but it apparently gets his clowns breeding several times a year.

Yeah it must be around that temperature in the summer on account of the air conditioning and I usually unplug the heater.
I keep the heaters on from mid-fall to spring in Dts so it must be around 78 in the winter.


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