Have you seen a Hemisquilla today?

[Gonodactylus]

It is spring and time for my annual post about Hemisquilla for sale. Every spring (March to May) Hemisquilla show up live for sale at Californian Ranch 99 markets. I have seen them shipped as far north as El Cerrito in the Bay Area, but usually they are only available in southern California. They are almost always males, are probably trawled when males are out looking for mates, and usually sell for $10-12 a pound. They are often held dozens to a tank and may not be in good shape, but occasionally very healthy specimens are available. If you see any for sale, I would appreciate hearing about it. Note, this species has to be kept below about 17 C, so unless you have a chiller, you will have trouble keeping them for more than a few days.

Roy

[Pea-brain]

Do you mind if I ask what you want one for? have some research you need H. californiensis for? Signaling or something? Or was this just a warning to keep someone from making a bad purchase for their aquarium?

[Gonodactylus]

I have never eaten them, so I can't say whether they are good or not.

Also, they are terrible animals to try to keep in an aquarium not just because of the temperature - and the fact that this is one animal that can take out a glass tank, but because they invariably develop a black rot fungal infection that is fatal. The antennal scales, antennules and antennae and even the eyes will develop it and rot off.

All that said, the reason I'm interested in them is for research. First, they are one of the very few stomatopods that make a sound other than just by smashing the substrate. We published a paper last year describing a low frequency (30-50 hz) hum or growl that is produced by a pair of specialized musles that vibrate the posterior edges of the carapace. However, we don't know the context of the sound. We have only recorded it from males in the lab and that was in a defensive agonistic context (hydophone being pushed near the head). I have heard it in the field in the spring coming from burrows, so I suspect that the sound my be used in mate attraction or courtship, but we don't know if females also make it or when and how it functions. Also,stomatopods have no known ear. It sounds to reason that if they make sound, they should be able to "hear" it. I have yet do do playback experiments to see if they respond to the sound. If they do, they I would like to look for the ear. Finally, the mature males have a strongly polarized pair of red patches on their carapace. We would like to understand how these function.

So yes, I am not being altruistic trying to warn people away from buying Hemisquilla. What I'm really hoping is for someone to want to help me out and ship me a few. Even better, I would like to find collectors or trawlers who would sell them to me direct.

Roy

[Pea-brain]

Very interesting. Can't wait to hear/read the results. How long have you been able to keep them in your lab before they died? Any idea what cause those things? I would love to help but you can't get too much farther in the continental united states as Maine :D

[Gonodactylus]

Usually only three or four months. It is definitely a fungus. That is about all we know.

Roy

[gemini aquarius(t)]

well i would post in the socal thread. Im sure somone would love to help you out that doesn't have a mother that doesnt let them ship. but some guys were jsut talking about 99ranch today. I would love to help you out but i live kinda far from any of those stores and my mom doesnt let me ship sorry

[gemini aquarius(t)]

there i posted it for you
hope thats ok

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1085453

[Msby12]

ah yes, Ranch 99, i remember seeing those H. Californiensis once and never again! now i know when to look!

btw, I tried them, and i know that some people may get upset at this but they are GOOD eating!

[KhawMengLee]

Here's a nice video of it on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrTHlT2ChtM

[gunslingerone9]

sweet!

[Altpers0na-old]

thats the footage from the imax deep sea movie