Baby Shrimp? 9/23/03
I have a shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) in my tank for about 5 months. I have only had a single shrimp in my tank. and I was thinking about getting a mate for it. but while feeding frozen food to the tank today I noticed small creatures under the rock jumping like kangaroos and running around. upon closer inspection I saw that they look like the shrimp I have, the biggest ones are about 2-3mm with other small ones. they are only under the rocks and hides when I shine the flashlight on them. I am not sure if they are really shrimps though. can a shrimp lay eggs and fertilize it on its own? if they are shrimps then how can I take care of these little creatures. thanks for any help you can give me in this regards.
<the creatures you are seeing are almost certainly zooplankton - microcrustaceans like Amphipods or Mysid shrimp. They are not likely to be baby Lysmata, although they may look similar. They are quite beneficial nonetheless. Best regards, Anthony>

Baby Shrimps II 9/24/03
how can I differentiate between Mysid shrimp and baby Lysmata?
<we could find pictures of larva on the Web... but please take my experienced advice here, mate... parthenogenesis (the sort of "virgin birth" or non-fertilized egg development) is very uncommon. And Every tank with live rock or live sand has almost certainly got common microcrustaceans like mysids>
the small ones look like the replica of the big shrimp. the tail matches the shape of the big shrimp.
<the larvae of many arthropod kin look quite similar>
(I am not talking about the color though) they have no color. I'll send a pic if possible during the weekend. And can a Lysmata fertilize its own egg if it is the only shrimp in the tank.
<self-fertilization is very rare, even among asexual critter like your cleaner shrimp>
And you said beneficial...........do you mean as food for other organisms in the tank? ok thanks.
<mysids and other micro-crusties are beneficial as scavengers and as a food source for fish and other inverts... do check out our new book Reef Invertebrates on the subject. We have a chapter on microcrustaceans in it... and pics throughout of such creatures (see page 301). Kind regards, Anthony Calfo>

Need advice for my PhD thesis
<somebody write the Cliff's notes to "Reef Invertebrates">
hi guys,
<howdy!>
I am a grad student in molecular biology at UC Berkeley and I want to develop a crustacean as a new model system for studying developmental evolution.  
<kudos for your educational ambition/endeavors>
A few crustaceans are already being studied (Artemia, daphnia, Parhyale hawaiiensis) but they all have certain problems which keep them from being ideal.  The first consideration when trying to come up with a new animal to study is that it will readily reproduce in captivity... this is where you guys come in.  Ideally, I am looking for animals that can be kept in large groups without killing one another, who don't need coaxing to reproduce (the more they do, the better), and whose husbandry (especially of the young) is not overwhelmingly demanding.  Finally, an animal which matures quickly to breeding age would be good.  Oh, and as a final thought, the development of smaller guys like amphipods seems to be rather atypical when compared to most other arthropods, so I'm thinking something like a Lysmata or other shrimp or maybe crab might better represent the group.  
<you were right the first time... shrimp. Much better understood, studied and viable for culture. Most crabs are very challenging to culture>
I realize that I'm asking for quite a lot from one animal, and any info you guys can give me here would be very much appreciated.  Also, if there is anybody else you can think of who knows about captive breeding of crustaceans, I would love to be able to contact them as well in order to get more opinions.  Thanks a lot guys; I am a big fan of the site and I'm humbled by the amount of information you have compiled here. many thanks,-Mario Vargas-Vila
<the genus Lysmata is very well studied. There is even a handbook for husbandry with a very popular species in the genus. Do seek "How to train and raise Peppermint shrimp" by April Kirkendall. As I recall, David Cripe of Monterey Bay Aquarium has Teamed up with Dr Rob Toonen of HI university to do a paper on the California peppermint Lysmata. Do search the archives at Scripps if you have academic access... I suspect you will find a remarkable amount of info on this wonderful genus. Anthony>

- Question on Reef Babies -
Hi I just recently looked in my tank and saw thousands of very tiny babies with one tail that flicks that where just born have any idea which one of the animals below was likely to have them? <They are most likely copepods and/or amphipods, zooplankton that likely came in with your live rock.>
horse shoe crab1
sea star1
hermits 20(blue legged and 5 that are stripped like zebras)
snails Astreas 10
decorator crab the one I think could of had them even though I have one
pencil urchin1
tang highly unlikely right
yellowtail damsel unlikely
that's all and the babies are free swimming there all over my serpent star so it may have been it but I didn't see any eggs they probably would have got eaten please write back ASAP thanks JM
<No worries. Cheers, J -- >

- Follow-up on Reef Babies -
I found who had the babies it was the Decorator crab I watched her release the last of the babies out of a kind of pouch under her belly. Weird I think they carry them kinda like seahorse until the eggs hatch and release is this the first decorator birth? Thanks JM
<First one I've heard of... Cheers, J -- >