Mysid Shrimp

[owsi]

About 3 weeks ago I got a few juvenile Mysid Shrimp from a local and put them in the fuge. Never saw them again till a few days ago, saw something that didn't look like a pod but couldn't get a good look. Every day would watch the fuge for hours, the little booger was quick, come out of the cheato and back in before I could be sure. Well last night I got a good look and it was, they are hard to culture since they are cannibal's. I've seen them in display tanks at a few stores but never got them going myself. Need to cut my cheato back but I don't want to disturb it till I see more Shrimp

 

[Satori]

How big is a mysid shrimp? (i've only seen frozen ones as a positive ID)
I have some critters in my fuge that seem too big to be amphipods. I put a ruler against the glass, and stretched out they're nearly 1/4".

 

[owsi]

Here you go Mike
http://www.mblaquaculture.com/content/organisms/americamysis_bahia.php

 

[Satori]

Well, according to that, the size is within range, but a search on common aquaria amphipods puts them in the same size range. Who knows.
What I really need is someone who can tell the difference between the 4 or 5 distinct "pods" in my fuge to come look and tell me which is which.

 

[owsi]

regular pods look like skinny rolly pollies and walk more, Mysids usualy swim in circular patterns and have a rounder thorax with a distinctive tail. Pods are greyer, mysids are tan/reddish and fast

 

[owsi]

Wheres Olin when we need him? When I say pods, those are the most common that we get naturally, if you have any of the others I want some. I think Rob well be carrying a reef stew soon and it should have the other pod, Amphopod

 

[Zach Franck]

The mysids usually look curled up, kinda like a see-through lobster (without the pincers). Whereas many of the pods look more like tine caterpillars...amongst other things. Sorry for the remedial descriptions...that is just what the wife tells me they look like.

 

[Zach Franck]

Umm...was gonna say something else...but lost it....

 

[owsi]

Those are good descriptions, a lot better then mine. I started to say scorpions without the claws. And I think I have a few little ones now.

 

[Satori]

I'll get some video tonight. I at least have copepods, amphipods, and what I think are isopods. I may also have mysids, but need an ID. The whole place is crawling with all kinds, so videos should be easy.

 

[Satori]

Ok, got some videos. Click each one to play them.

These are copepods:




These, are what I think might be mysids:




In this second video of the possible mysid, you'll see what I think is an amphipod run by. They're about half the size of the possible mysids.




And these are what I believe are isopods. Notice the tails don't curl under like the amphipods and possible mysids:
(ignore the planaria... )




Anyone agree? Disagree?

 

[owsi]

Cool movies, took me awhile to figure out it was a movie and how to do it, it was easy from there on.

 

[Satori]

I posted the videos in FRAG and Reef discussion as well thinking I would get an ID for sure, but there is dissagreement. The surprising one is the first video that I thought were copepods. They may be copepods, but some think those tiny things are mysis.
So much for finding out!

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8915680#post8915680

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8916210#post8916210

 

[Satori]

Ok, so everyone was right about the first video. I took some still photos and zoomed way in. I was able to positively ID both copepods and mysis, roughly the same size. (using Melev's ID page)

So that means I have copepods, amphipods, isopods, and mysis in the fuge. Life is good.

 

[LPFSTheFett]

The last video is a bunch of red flat worms. That's what I think anyway.

Jason

 

[Satori]

Yeah, they're the harmless kind and they're only in the fuge. I'm gathering stuff to treat them soon.