Micro- hitcher
- Thread starter Dog fish
- Start date
..that kinda sounds like a skeleton shrimp, the coolest of amphipods, i caught some locally in the Pacific on a rock and seaweed before, thought they were baby mantis. I've wanted to culture them but I thought they were a colder water species. Let me know if that what ya got and what the temp in your tank is. here's a pic....
Micro-hitcher
Micro-hitcher
Wow, Vapester, thats them, my tank is at normal reef tempature and I got them with some cheato that a few people from RC sent me, I have had about four shipments so I can not tell who it came from. Now, the question is how do I keep them and what do I feed them, any help would be gladly appreciated, thanks in advance.
Dog fish
Micro-hitcher
Wow, Vapester, thats them, my tank is at normal reef tempature and I got them with some cheato that a few people from RC sent me, I have had about four shipments so I can not tell who it came from. Now, the question is how do I keep them and what do I feed them, any help would be gladly appreciated, thanks in advance.
Dog fish
..here's the info from the same site that provided the pic - http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=0&hab=11&inhab=521
Look closely to see these tiny skeleton shrimp clinging to bryozoans, hydroids or algae. Their body shape and color help the shrimp to blend into their background. Their bodies are long, cylindrical and range from pale brown and green to rose. Some species can quickly change color to blend into their backgrounds.
Skeleton shrimp look like, and sometimes are called, "praying mantises of the sea." They have two pairs of legs attached to the front end of their bodies, with three pairs of legs at the back end. The front legs form powerful "claws" for defense, grooming and capturing food. The rear legs have strong claws that grasp and hold on to algae or other surfaces. They use their antennae for filter feeding and swimming.
Species Information
Diet diatoms (microscopic plants), detritus, filtered food particles, amphipods
Size to 1.5 inches (4 cm) long
Range low intertidal zone and subtidal waters in bays, central and southern California
Relatives sand fleas, whale lice, other amphipods; Class: Crustacea; Order: Amphipoda
Conservation Notes Skeleton shrimp are abundant and live in many habitats, including the deep sea. They play an important role in the ecosystem by eating up detritus and other food particles.
Cool facts Shrimp, sea anemones and surfperch prey on skeleton shrimp. The females of some skeleton shrimp species kill the male after mating.
Skeleton shrimp use their front legs for locomotion. To move, they grasp first with those front legs and then with their back legs, in inchworm fashion. They swim by rapidly bending and straightening their bodies.
To grow, skeleton shrimp shed their old exoskeletons and form new, larger ones. They can mate only when the female is between new, hardened exoskeletons. After mating, the female deposits her eggs in a brood pouch formed from leaflike projections on the middle part of her body. Skeleton shrimp hatch directly into juvenile adults.
Look closely to see these tiny skeleton shrimp clinging to bryozoans, hydroids or algae. Their body shape and color help the shrimp to blend into their background. Their bodies are long, cylindrical and range from pale brown and green to rose. Some species can quickly change color to blend into their backgrounds.
Skeleton shrimp look like, and sometimes are called, "praying mantises of the sea." They have two pairs of legs attached to the front end of their bodies, with three pairs of legs at the back end. The front legs form powerful "claws" for defense, grooming and capturing food. The rear legs have strong claws that grasp and hold on to algae or other surfaces. They use their antennae for filter feeding and swimming.
Species Information
Diet diatoms (microscopic plants), detritus, filtered food particles, amphipods
Size to 1.5 inches (4 cm) long
Range low intertidal zone and subtidal waters in bays, central and southern California
Relatives sand fleas, whale lice, other amphipods; Class: Crustacea; Order: Amphipoda
Conservation Notes Skeleton shrimp are abundant and live in many habitats, including the deep sea. They play an important role in the ecosystem by eating up detritus and other food particles.
Cool facts Shrimp, sea anemones and surfperch prey on skeleton shrimp. The females of some skeleton shrimp species kill the male after mating.
Skeleton shrimp use their front legs for locomotion. To move, they grasp first with those front legs and then with their back legs, in inchworm fashion. They swim by rapidly bending and straightening their bodies.
To grow, skeleton shrimp shed their old exoskeletons and form new, larger ones. They can mate only when the female is between new, hardened exoskeletons. After mating, the female deposits her eggs in a brood pouch formed from leaflike projections on the middle part of her body. Skeleton shrimp hatch directly into juvenile adults.
