Southern Californians, please help.

[Gonodactylus]

It's spring and my thoughts turn to Hemisquilla californiensis (see photo). Each spring beginning in late March, male Hemisquilla leave their burrows and go searching for females - and each spring thousands of them are swept up in shrimp and fish trawls and find their way to fish markets where they are sold live for approximately $10 a pound. Hemisquilla occur from Santa Barbara south and usually the only place we see them for sale are in Ranch 99 markets in central and southern California.

Some of my research is on sound production by Hemisquilla and I need several animals, preferably both males and females. Should you happen upon some for sale, I would appreciate knowing about it. Even better would be if you could pick out a few lively looking animals and FedEx them over night to my lab in Berkeley. I can provide detailed instructions on how to ship them and would of course pay all costs. However, I will be traveling in early to mid-April, so don't pick them up unless you have talked to me first.

Hemisquilla live at temperatures between 15 and 18 C and don't do well long term in captivity, so they don't make good animals for the home aquarium. However, they are fascinating stomatopods not very closely related to any other members of the group - and they are one of only two species known to produce a humming sound.

Thanks.

Roy

 

[nikesb4l]

when do you think it would best to catch thoes nano squillas? I can start sifting the inlets soon. the waters like 58 now. I'd love to send you some for research.
Also going to the Bahamas on monday for my senior training cruise with cfcc marine tech program, I want to go and catch some stomatopods, gastropods and whatever else I can grab to bring home for my aquariums. Is this going to be possiable? or is US customs going to get angry that i'm taking their local species lol.

 

[jyxie]

gl on your research!
will keep an eye for u