Hundreds of these critters seen in my marine aquarium today - please ID!

[plasmo]

I'm pretty sure these are some type of copepods or amphipods, but they appeared to swim very quickly and dart around like tiny fish with 2 black eyes, and a tail. It didn't look like a typical copepod/amphipod though. I don't think they are fish as my clownfish went crazy and started to eat them. If anyone knows what these are, please ID them for me! thanks.

 

Here's a video:

[yoshii]

Well it's hard to tell, but I can see two big black eyes, so maybe baby fish or baby shrimp?

What's your stock list?

[plasmo]

Well it's hard to tell, but I can see two big black eyes, so maybe baby fish or baby shrimp?

What's your stock list?

 

 

I haven't had ornamental shrimp for a while, so it's probably not that.

 

2 clowns

1 yellowtail damsel

1 6-lined wrasse

 

couple starfish and hermit crabs and some snails.

 

that's it.

[Alkamist]

are your clowns paired?

[yoshii]

Could be baby clowns? Have your clowns laid eggs in the past?

[plasmo]

Could be baby clowns? Have your clowns laid eggs in the past?

 

I've had the clowns for almost 2 years; didn't buy them paired, but they were introduced about 1-2 months apart. They have not laid eggs in the past (to my knowledge).

 

Would the clowns eat their offspring? It really looked like they were trying to eat them.

[Alkamist]

i think they would but if you had them fro a while watch them and see if they spawn again, they could be baby clowns

[Philip271]

definitely some type of shrimp by the way they move and flicking of the tail.

[reefer38]

definitely some type of shrimp by the way they move and flicking of the tail.

+1

mysis shrimp?

[sogreedy23]

Sea monkeys, IMO.

[ferissp]

Sea monkeys, IMO.

 

They really really really look like mysis shrimp to me. Howevever most baby shrimp or fish will look like that. They look harmless and will probably be food for something else soon.

[Yves]

Mysis shrimp...good stuff got them all over my 'fuge.

[plasmo]

Mysis shrimp...good stuff got them all over my 'fuge.

 

 

agree, this was probably a mysis bloom.

 

Another bloom happened yesterday, and by the end of the day my fish ate all of them.

Here's another video:

 

plus another worm-like creature crawling on the glass.... id? thx

[Builder Anthony]

Ya mysis shrimp are cool you can see them really come out at night.Thats a big population congratulations.They seem to like to dance around in the current.Id try to caqcth a few just to keep a population going.Some people pay big bucks for those things to feed baby cuttlefish.