Peppermint Shrimp with Dark Spot and white?

[brittonv]

Just wanted to know if my shrimp was ok or what is going on.

There are no fish in the tank yet, just a couple snails and a pair of seldom seen Peppermint shrimp that have been in the tank for close to 3 months. Only change is I recently added a couple of Zoas 3 days ago that I dipped a couple times in CoralRX before introducing to the tank. No Store water was introduced to the tank.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Could either be a tumor or an isopod that makes its home inside the shrimp. Typically it's a symbiotic relationship so while it will not immediately kill the shrimp it may shorten its lifespan. There's nothing you can do to treat it.

 

[ThRoewer]

Looks in shape and position like a Bopyrid Isopods, a parasite.
If it's an isopod it's treatable if you have the skills and the guts for it.
See this article: Bopyrid Isopods in the Aquarium

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Not recommended for the home aquarist. Any procedure involving the gills runs a good chance of tearing laminae and killing the host. I know marine biologists that won't do this procedure. My female banded coral shrimp lived for five years with one.

 

[brittonv]

Where would this parasite have come from, was it always there but just matured?

Great article, but don't think I'll be trying that.

Funny this makes me sad, and this is from a guy that uses shrimp as bait all the time! Funny when they're your pets, how your perceptions change!

 

[ThRoewer]

A few months ago I did the procedure on a porcelain anemone crab and it survived. It just has a little hole in its shell for now which I expect to close over time. With this guy I had to probe blind which damaged the tissue on the inside of the shell a little.
With shrimp that have transparent shells it is quite easy.

As for where these parasites come from - the shrimp or crab come with them from the wild. If it doesn't show immediately it is because the parasite isn't mature at that point.

With this shrimp I would observer it first to be sure it is really a isopod and not a tumor or deformity - normally these isopods are not this dark