Odontodactylus scyllarus mating photos

[Gonodactylus]

I'm currently looking at some aspects of courtship and mating behavior in O. scyllarus and thought you might like to see some of the photos. Here is the first. The male, top, is mounting the female from the rear. As he grabs her abdomen with his maxilipeds, she performs as series of backward jerks. This seems to excite the male and promote mounting.

Roy

[JothamTheSlayer]

Interesting as always.


Just curious, how do you always get such black backgrounds?

[Gonodactylus]

I paint a plastic card with Ultra Flat Black, soak the background for a couple of weeks to reduce the toxic compounds and shoot with the background in the tank. Scratches and particulates are removed from the image with Photoshop.

Roy

[JothamTheSlayer]

Cool. Have any recent luck rearing any larva, or is you lab not looking into aquaculture?

[Gonodactylus]

We have hatched L. maculata, P. ciliata and O. scyllarus, but couldn't get them past two or three days into the planktonic stages.

The only larvae that I have successfully reared to settlement as post larvae are N. bredini and G. chiragra.

Roy

[JothamTheSlayer]

And that was using the cup method correct?

Have you guys tried any sort of kreisel system to keep them a live? I know you said that they're cannibalistic, but that might almost work to your advantage since im guessing first feed is probably a problem.

[rambochu]

Threadjack: Roy, I noticed that both G. chiragra and G. ternatensis have been categorized as "largest Gonodactylus."

I only know this because my boyfriend has a G. ternatensis and mentioned it when I was looking at the mantis species you've successfully settled.

[Gonodactylus]

We've tried a couple of different Kreisel systems without success. Cannibalism was a problem, but I think a more serious problem was keeping the right prey alive and in suspension.

G. chiragra is the largest Gonodactylus. G. ternatensis is the largest Gonodactylaeceus and the largest species in the family Gonodactylidae.

Roy

[JothamTheSlayer]

What are you using for prey if you don't mind me asking?

[Gonodactylus]

Rotifers, copepods, gut-loaded Artemia

[JothamTheSlayer]

Thanks Dr. Caldwell.

I've always wanted to try my hand at some aquaculturing. Seems pretty difficult to me though. But with the scarcity of mantis shrimps, I'm sure it could be really lucrutive to have even one successful batch of settled shrimps.

[SwiftysReef]

Is there any more information on g. Ternatensis other than your infamous list. Like age do they need high flow of water and do I need a lid for my tank or am I worrying to much. Thanks

[SwiftysReef]

I'm currently looking at some aspects of courtship and mating behavior in O. scyllarus and thought you might like to see some of the photos. Here is the first. The male, top, is mounting the female from the rear. As he grabs her abdomen with his maxilipeds, she performs as series of backward jerks. This seems to excite the male and promote mounting.

Roy


Usually get me going too. Lol

[Gonodactylus]

I doubt that it would be possible to turn a profit culturing most stomatopods. Even if you could get them through the planktonic larval stages, the postlarvae are small and would have to be held another year or two before anyone would want to buy them. If we consider a desirable species such as G. smithii, the culture cycle would be:

1 month for the female to hatch the eggs
2 months planktonic
1 year to reach 1 inch total length
3 years to sexual maturity

[JothamTheSlayer]

Well to counter that, at ~$50 a piece (possibly more since they are aquacultured) with say 20 to survive after a year would be $1k. You could probably break even after one or two "harvest" if you did it right (used equpiment, culturing own rotifers, ect).

How frequently are stomatopods of that genus able to breed?

[Koshmar]

You have to think of the market for them too. You would saturate it with one species. Sure, you could sell 20, then maybe 20 more, but after that..... everyone interested in keeping them would have one. I just want to breed and raise fry one day for the challenge and addition to our knowledge of these guys. By cultivating them you may learn something.

Btw nice photos Dr. Caldwell

[JothamTheSlayer]

Eh, I doubt the market is so small that 20 shrimps would saturate it. Plus if you become a suppler for some of the bigger aquatic website it'll move just like anything else does.

[Gonodactylus]

An easier and cheaper option is to collect postlarvae as they settle out. G. smithii recruit year round, but in Australia there are usually massive recruitments a few days after the full moon in November and December. With a dive light and hand net, I can collect hundreds in an evening. They are easily transported in a few ml of water in small plastic vials without almost no mortality. The same is true for species such as Pseudosquilla ciliata and Lysiosquillina maculata that spend months in the plankton and that would be almost impossible to culture.

Roy

[JothamTheSlayer]

I'm sure that's why people prefer to collect them rather than breed them. I would think that if one figured out a great method for rasing them then the costs might off set. Plus there's some added value to cultured vs wild caught IME (so long as the colors are still as vibrant). I also smell a publication for a person who can get large amount of smithii larva to settle out. That's if it's done right of course.

[MantisO_o]

Very interesting :)

[SwiftysReef]

What type of aspects are you looking at if you dont mind me asking.

[Gonodactylus]

After several attempts to mount and turn the female on her side, the male was successful at achieving insertion and ejaculation. Note that this male is regenerating his right raptorial appendage.

[rambochu]

If you don't mind me saying so, that looks really uncomfortable for the female. But great pics!

Also, thanks for the clarification on the G.Ternatensis thing. Abaddon's doing pretty well - how old would you say a G. Tern of about 3-4 inches is? And their habit of living in coral - do you tend to find them in any SPS, or do they prefer certain types? We fragged out a big chunk of pocillopora in hopes that it'll make him more comfortable, but I doubt he's going to move into it...

[Gonodactylus]

My guess is that it would be around 4-5 years old. We find them in several branching species such as Pocillopora. An animal the size of yours would be in a colony about the size of a basketball or larger. It would be great to see one in an aquarium living in a live head.



Roy

[Gonodactylus]

Another mating shot.

[mndfreeze]

Dr. Caldwell, this is the slowest porn release ever! more pics! :D

[rambochu]

:c The female looks so uncomfortable! Her little face(?) looks literally like "Why is this happening to me?"

And G. Tern has a lifespan of about 5-7 years? Uh oh...I don't think I want to break that bit of news to Boyfriend :/ On the bright side, if I'm wrong and it has a slightly longer lifespan, we may actually manage to grow a baseball-sized colony for him to live in.

[Gonodactylus]

Actually the female was soliciting the male as he mounted and she did again a couple of minutes after he dismounted.

Roy