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View Full Version : Lone cleaner shrimp...pregnant?!


JaneG
06/05/2011, 02:14 PM
Hello all! I don't know if I am posting this in the right section or not, so please forgive me if I didn't! Anyway, I have had my cleaner shrimp (10g tank w/ yellowhead jawfish and juvenile possum wrasse, all scared of him) for maybe 4 weeks or so. I bought him from a store where he was with another cleaner shrimp. Anyway, after about a couple weeks in my tank I noticed he was acting a little strange. I could tell his shell was becoming "different" (almost harder?) I guess you could say and I caught him sometimes grabbing his back end. He molted the next morning and everything was fine. Of course, the first few days he kind of hid (I assume because he was "vulnerable"). I was shocked to see this behavior very soon after that just yesterday. I woke up and, sure enough, he molted. However, it's hard to see him, but he appears to have bright neon green under his abdomen and it's "full." Are these eggs? I have no idea how he could have gotten them as he has been alone for about 4 weeks now! He's grown kind of fast after I got him as well. He's still hiding, but I am pretty sure I keep getting glimpses of bright green something. Should I be concerned? Thanks!

olemiss reb
06/05/2011, 02:16 PM
They are hermaphroditic and will still produce eggs if they are alone but they will not be fertilized.

JaneG
06/05/2011, 02:17 PM
They are hermaphroditic and will still produce eggs if they are alone but they will not be fertilized.

Thank you! I guess that's that. I feel kind of stupid, getting all excited...oh well, I guess it's free fish food. :spin1:

Whisperer
06/05/2011, 02:28 PM
Confused when you said it just molted. If so, the swimmerettes (the legs it the abdomen) should also have been shed. How could the eggs have been left behind?

JaneG
06/05/2011, 02:32 PM
Confused when you said it just molted. If so, the swimmerettes (the legs it the abdomen) should also have been shed. How could the eggs have been left behind?
I'm sorry, I guess that was phrased strangely. I meant that it molted and then had the eggs, not that it had the eggs then molted. :crazy1: I woke up and it had both molted and had the eggs but the night before it had neither molted nor had eggs.

NirvanaFan
06/05/2011, 03:36 PM
I believe many shrimp can store the sperm in their bodies and use it to fertilize future eggs.

JaneG
06/05/2011, 04:12 PM
I believe many shrimp can store the sperm in their bodies and use it to fertilize future eggs.
Does that mean that the eggs could be fertilized? :hmm5:

dorky
06/05/2011, 06:40 PM
it happen wit my peppermint shrimp. I had her for 9 months alone in my tank next thing i know there bunch of baby shrimp swimming around hiding under the rocks. I was puzzle. very puzzle wit the dumb look on my face.

davocean
06/05/2011, 06:42 PM
I believe many shrimp can store the sperm in their bodies and use it to fertilize future eggs.

I've read this as well.
Can't say for sure that is the case here, but they can produce eggs, even if not fertilized, just like chickens.