About 2 months ago, I got 2 cleaner shrimp from my LFS which I consider to be a good one.
Anyway, when I got home from work today I saw some extra antennae lower in the tank and thought maybe the cleaners had lost an antenna or two. Then I saw the antennae moving against the current. I was very interested so I decided to move a small rock that was preventing me from seeing what I was starting to believe was a baby shrimp.
Behind, I saw the baby shrimp. As of yet, I haven't been able to get the pictures here (sorry). Anyway, the "body" was translucent and the antennae were about 2/3 the length of the parents' antennae and not quite as dominant in color. It had a bunch of legs underneath the "body" which was kind of like a bubble.
After I called some people and did some work, I went back and saw that the bubble had popped or something and the baby now was "jacknifed" to borrow a term from Dr. Roy or somebody. I was quite concerned about the jacknife position but I allowed nature to take its course. At one point I actually saw one of the shrimp parents walk on top of said baby (albeit gingerly as shrimp do).
Next, I went back and found that the bubble was basically nonexistent. The legs were still attached to something that attached to the "head" with no eyes yet. A little while longer, I noticed that the "head" had moved. I looked at it more carefully through the glass and saw that the legs were no longer attached. One of the antenna on the "head" moved a little but it could be a current.
Not being particularly happy about this event but also knowing that invertebrae do "strange" things like molt, I looked through the glass trying to find the "body." No dice so eventually I decided to move another rock. I carefully lifted the rock and underneath I saw a white bubbly form sneak into the pebble substrate. At this time, I suspect that the "head" is just a shell and "dead" but that this white slug-like creature could be the growing baby. Somebody please help me with this...
Some extra questions:
-Do Cleaner shrimp tend to have 1 progeny at a time?
-How often can I expect to get more of these babies?
-One of the shrimps is "fatter" than the other. Am I to expect that this one could be pregnant or maybe it is the dominant one?
-WHAT THE ? should I be thinking about this molt or whatever that is going on?
HELP!
Thanks in advance...
Anyway, when I got home from work today I saw some extra antennae lower in the tank and thought maybe the cleaners had lost an antenna or two. Then I saw the antennae moving against the current. I was very interested so I decided to move a small rock that was preventing me from seeing what I was starting to believe was a baby shrimp.
Behind, I saw the baby shrimp. As of yet, I haven't been able to get the pictures here (sorry). Anyway, the "body" was translucent and the antennae were about 2/3 the length of the parents' antennae and not quite as dominant in color. It had a bunch of legs underneath the "body" which was kind of like a bubble.
After I called some people and did some work, I went back and saw that the bubble had popped or something and the baby now was "jacknifed" to borrow a term from Dr. Roy or somebody. I was quite concerned about the jacknife position but I allowed nature to take its course. At one point I actually saw one of the shrimp parents walk on top of said baby (albeit gingerly as shrimp do).
Next, I went back and found that the bubble was basically nonexistent. The legs were still attached to something that attached to the "head" with no eyes yet. A little while longer, I noticed that the "head" had moved. I looked at it more carefully through the glass and saw that the legs were no longer attached. One of the antenna on the "head" moved a little but it could be a current.
Not being particularly happy about this event but also knowing that invertebrae do "strange" things like molt, I looked through the glass trying to find the "body." No dice so eventually I decided to move another rock. I carefully lifted the rock and underneath I saw a white bubbly form sneak into the pebble substrate. At this time, I suspect that the "head" is just a shell and "dead" but that this white slug-like creature could be the growing baby. Somebody please help me with this...
Some extra questions:
-Do Cleaner shrimp tend to have 1 progeny at a time?
-How often can I expect to get more of these babies?
-One of the shrimps is "fatter" than the other. Am I to expect that this one could be pregnant or maybe it is the dominant one?
-WHAT THE ? should I be thinking about this molt or whatever that is going on?
HELP!
Thanks in advance...
