Caprellid Amphipods

[Lukicloe]

John,

 

I received my macro frag pack from you today, put all the macros in my macro tank and was spending a few minutes watching the tank before the lights turned out for the night. My eyesight isn't the greatest, so when I saw this weird sort of clear inch worm type thing, I thought I was crazy. But as I continued to watch, it crawled (inched) across one piece of caulerpa, latched onto some codium with its long arms and began picking at something I certainly couldn't see with its pinchers(?). I did a google search and found out what it was- caprellid amphipod or skeleton shrimp. Then I searched nano reef and saw that you had them in jan of 2009 and 2010. I guess they came in on the gracilaria? Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for all of the great "frags" that are much larger than frags and thanks for these cool creatures. I really hope my fish don't notice them all or if they do, they don't eat them all. They are pretty fascinating to watch.

 

Raelin

[johnmaloney]

haha that is so strange I was just thinking about them today because they are going to start disappearing out there soon. I am glad you got them in time Raelin, they are cool. My brother thinks they look like drunk stick figures, I think that is a pretty close description. They are here and there all year long, but they bloom in Dec-Feb, but mostly in late Jan. Come spring there are so many juvie fish in the water I think there numbers are depleted b/c of predation. No idea really, but I think that is the case. Hope they do well for you!

 

Have you seen them swim yet, or are they still just wobbling? Try to get one swimming, they swim like a horse would.

[Lukicloe]

Ha ha. They do look like drunk stick figures.

 

I haven't seen them swim yet but they are climbing all over the macros. Well, inching all over the macros is a better description. This morning there were four that raced to the highest points of the cactus caulerpa at the same time as if they were in an odd sort of competition. Then they stayed there happily swaying back and forth except it looked like they were bowing. They are definitely the coolest creatures I've seen in my tanks. Everything they do is so odd but really neat. Now I want to see them swim.

 

I want to try to catch some and put them in my pico where I think they'll have a better chance of survival. The only fish in there are two very tiny green banded gobies. Some of the caprellid amphipods may very well be longer than they are. Should I put gracilaria in there for them? I do have a small bit of codium in there but no other algae.

[johnmaloney]

yeah that is how i would catch them too, just break off some of the gracilaria and put it in the pico. they will cling to it, and then you can move them to the new tank. watch the tank though some might jump off and you can see them swim.