Lysmata amboinensis larva

[purplehaze]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9052945#post9052945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
See my previous "update"post.My point (which needs confirmation)is that there were (at least in this case) no marking time molts after Z7 as it is said,but three "new"stages,Z8,Z9 and Z10 before the pleopod buds stage.I promise pics...

Hi Luis,

So you are saying that the pleopod buds only appear in ZXI

 

[spawner]

I don't think that Luis is trying to put a number on the stages that would agree with morphological development patterns. More a guide for what is normally seen.

 

[Luis A M]

85th. day.The three larvae were growing fine and reached 15 mm and today two died.I found again some incipient hydroid growth.Somehow the UV was shut down
Once more I moved the lone survivor to a clean tank and it´s doing great.
Antenna A2 is almost as long as A1.Pleopods are fully developed,with setae,about 40,all around them.Seems like the last larval stage and matches the 120 days larva description in Wunsch´s monography.And yet it should have to grow to 20 mm.
Will this larva make it?.Probably not.Or perhaps this will be the one?.While it lasts,I´ll hold my breath every morning until I find it swimming around.And all that fuzz about a bug the size of a mosquito!(well,a large mosquito)
You see why I call it a masochist game?

 

[FuEl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9246376#post9246376 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
You see why I call it a masochist game?

Only those who have attempted would understand. :lol:

 

[purplehaze]

Are you just feeding BBS?

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9247721#post9247721 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by purplehaze
Are you just feeding BBS?

BBS plus Otohime

 

[Kmiec123]

Luis, Do you have any other animals in the tanks with the larva? I was just thinking since I read that shrimp eat detritus that maybe in addition to a phyto mixture Thalasiosira weissflogii, Tetraselmis, Rotifers, etc.. adding some snails to feed off the glass and bottom eating benifical algae should have some tasty detritus(tasty for shrimp larva that is) Just a thought....hope this helps. I have no experience with this, just thinking out loud.....Carl

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9258135#post9258135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kmiec123
Luis, Do you have any other animals in the tanks with the larva? I was just thinking since I read that shrimp eat detritus that maybe in addition to a phyto mixture Thalasiosira weissflogii, Tetraselmis, Rotifers, etc.. adding some snails to feed off the glass and bottom eating benifical algae should have some tasty detritus(tasty for shrimp larva that is) Just a thought....hope this helps. I have no experience with this, just thinking out loud.....Carl

The only (unwelcome ) other animals that show are darned hydroids.
Larvae do feed on many items as you point,and I tried many diets in the past.I´m now pretty happy with this food and focus in an environment as clean and bacteria free as possible.

 

[Luis A M]

Zoea 7.Bud of antenna.

Zoea 7.Bud of antenna.

I could upload the pics.This series shows the development of the antenna (flagellum of A2) which is the feature that best defines the new stages I will document here.

This is a close view of the head of the 7th Zoea.The bud of the antenna can be seen between A1,the antennula and A2,the scale.

 

[Luis A M]

Zoea 8

Zoea 8

In the 8th zoea,the antenna reaches the first setae(hairs) of the scale.

 

[Luis A M]

Zoea 9

Zoea 9

In the 9th zoea,the antenna is almost half the length of the scale.
This is a lateral view.You can see the scale under the eyes.The antenna can be seen below the scale.

 

[Peter Schmiedel]

Luis,

excellent pictures!

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9270429#post9270429 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Schmiedel
Luis,

excellent pictures!

Thanks! .They are not fancy but serve the purpose of showing the development of the antenna,which is the key feature to recognize the 8th,9th and 10th zoeas.
Antenna is hard to see if you don´t know how it looks and where to watch.In fact,some people have missed it and believed the larvae were marking time until the pleopod buds stage,which they called Z8,like in peppermints,instead of Z11.
But using these pics as a guide,I think anybody checking L.amboinensis larvae under a scope,will be able to ID these new stages.

 

[Luis A M]

Zoea 10

Zoea 10

This is the 10th zoea,in a lateral view.Antenna,now with a whitish tip,reaches close to the bifurcation of A1,the antennula,or almost the total length of the scale.
Closer view:

Interestingly,in some larvae,I could see a very incipient bud of pleopods,but only in 3th and 4th pairs,heralding the bud development of next stage:

 

[aomont]

How do you make them stop for the photos Luis ? Are they alive ?
Anderson.

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9273891#post9273891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aomont
How do you make them stop for the photos Luis ? Are they alive ?
Anderson.

Andy (Spawner) taught me.It´s a matter of leaving them with almost no water,so they can´t move much.

 

[Luis A M]

Zoea 11

Zoea 11

The 11th zoea shows the pleopod buds:

The antenna is now longer than the scale and the fork of the antennule:

but antenna isn´t relevant any more.From now on development of pleopods is what counts.

 

[Kmiec123]

Very cool progress Luis...Thanks

 

[Luis A M]

90 days

90 days

Well,my lonely larva is still hanging on,and reached 90 days!
My previous record was 99.
Pleopods look fully developed.If it was a peppermint,I would say it was last stage,close to settling.
But amboinensis should grow up to 20 mm and 120 days so I expect new stages and/or marking time.This is a view of the pleopods:

Each pleopod has two branches:exopodite and endopodite.See a close look:

Endop.are well developed,with setae (hairs)all around.But exop.are less developed,shorter (about 60%) and especially narrower.
Will see what comes next,provided this larva survives!

 

[spawner]

Your missing the AI and mine have an AM developed as well on the last stage, so Pp are not quite fully developed; one more stage to go.
So how big is it now?? 1.5-2.0mm??