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Shrimp birthing mechanics

Protopigeon

Member
Joined
25 Jan 2016
Messages
73
Location
Loughborough
Do cherry shrimp generally let their newborns out in one single birthing event, i.e. all at the same time?

Or can this be done over a few "sessions", as they become "ready". E.g. 5 released today, 10 released tomorrow, etc.

The reason I ask is that my one pregnant female in my 60L cherry tank who I've been watching keenly, is still berried after about 3-4 weeks, but have spotted 3 tiny shrimplets in my tank, my other females are still saddled so it's not them.

Also wondering if this is a possible indicator of an issue with the water

TIA for any information
 
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Not kept freshwater shrimps but all the saltwater crustaceans I've ever kept expell all the larvae at once as they hatch. With Natantia, swimming crustaceans, this is done by violent use of the pleopods that carry the eggs. HTH
 
Interesting thanks. She’s still looking after a lot of eggs. They are bright yellow. Will keep an eye on her.


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They can release over a few hours and the young are minuscule not that much bigger than Cyclopia, never seen days between release. There is also the possibility that the eggs hatched and she molted and mated and became berried again in a very short period of time. If that's not the case you have another female in the tank you can't see.

The bright yellow is the yolk sac, this disappears as the unhatched eggs mature, when hatching comes along the yolk sac should be gone, only little shrimp in eggshells should be seen.
 
Thank you for the info. I can't see her tonight so I'm guessing some of the eggs failed to mature somehow and were jettisoned - otherwise I would see more babies, I can still only see a couple still
 
They tend to drop eggs if they are not happy

makes sense.

I've not seen any more young but I now have at least 2 expecting females.

In further bad news, I've spotted some small planaria, and now 2 of my males have signs of Scutariella japonica on their rostrums. I couldn't find any reference to anyone having this issue on UKAPS, so it's waterchange and salt bathtime for them tomorrow. Then I'll treat with paraguard and I'll have to clean all the molts out for a few weeks. Fingers crossed .

I have no idea where this has come from as I've not added any plants or shrimp for weeks.
 
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