Is it possible to pair two CBS?

[Reef Breeder 2013]

Since I can't put another shrimp with my female CBS, I was wondering if I could get her a male. Is there any sexual dimorphism, or just luck?

 

[KrisReef]

Quarantine Experience with Copperband Butterfly Fish

I always keep CBB in my tank and have been to trying to get them pair. I don’t QT in the sense that most people mean but I acclimated my CBB in a reef to get them healthy and eating well prior to release into my DT. This tank is a 40 gal reef I use to QT my invertebrates. Success with the pair...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ThRoewer]

Since I can't put another shrimp with my female CBS, I was wondering if I could get her a male. Is there any sexual dimorphism, or just luck?

Yes, there is, but it isn't easy to spot, especially not on smaller individuals.
The difference is the profile of the forehead. Females have a smooth, sloped forehead profile while males have a steeper forehead with a bump/bent at the upper third. The angle of the snout is also slightly different between male and female.
I'm right now in the process of quarantining a male for my female.

 

[ThRoewer]

Since I can't put another shrimp with my female CBS, I was wondering if I could get her a male. Is there any sexual dimorphism, or just luck?

BTW, how do you know that you have a female if you don't know how to tell males and females apart?

 

[Ocellaris123]

Are you talking about coral banded shrimp or a copperband butterfly?

Im assuming your talking about coral banded shrimp

If shrimp than yes, i had a breeding pair a while back, adult females larger with blue ovaries which can be seen through the body, males smaller and slimmer

 

[KrisReef]

Are you talking about coral banded shrimp or a copperband butterfly?

Im assuming your talking about coral banded shrimp

If shrimp than yes, i had a breeding pair a while back, adult females larger with blue ovaries which can be seen through the body, males smaller and slimmer

Good point! :rolleyes: :cool:

 

[ThRoewer]

Coral banded shrimp can also be sexed. I have put pairs together of several Stenopus species:
- S. hispidus
- S. tenuirostris
- S. cyanoscelis
- S. zanzibaricus

S. hispidus male

 

[ThRoewer]

female

The difference is in the gonads and the width of the carapace

 

[ThRoewer]

Are you talking about coral banded shrimp or a copperband butterfly?

Im assuming your talking about coral banded shrimp

If shrimp than yes, i had a breeding pair a while back, adult females larger with blue ovaries which can be seen through the body, males smaller and slimmer

I was referring to Chelmon rostratus (Copperband Butterfly) in my first 2 replies.

 

[Ocellaris123]

I was referring to Chelmon rostratus (Copperband Butterfly) in my first 2 replies.

I figured as much

 

[Reef Breeder 2013]

BTW, how do you know that you have a female if you don't know how to tell males and females apart?

1. It's really huge.

2. One night I found hundreds or even thousands of micro shrimp in the tank.

3. She is developing eggs again.

 

[Reef Breeder 2013]

At least from what I see, it's female.

 

[ThRoewer]

At least from what I see, it's female.

Yes, definitely female. Now that you know what to look for, it should be easy to find her a mate.

 

[Reef Breeder 2013]

I don't know if this is also relevant, but it seems that the females have a bit of blue on their largest pair of claws.

 

[Reef Breeder 2013]

Ok, so if I choose to buy a male, would it be difficult to mate them? I wouldn't want to lose my female CBS. :confused:

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

You can buy them already paired, try to find a paired couple.

 

[Paul B]

Coral Banded shrimp are easy to sex especially if you have two of them. The male has much longer and heavier arms. The female may be cuter, have longer eyelashes and smell better but will be slightly smaller. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

These were one of the first inverts I got in the early 70s when they were first imported. The male is on the left and they always stayed together, and you find them on the reef like that.

They constantly spawned for 7 years and when one died, the other one soon followed. When the female has eggs, they are very easy to see under her tail.

I have always kept them in my reef and only have one now.
When they spawn, the tank fills with tiny fully formed shrimp.

 

[Reef Breeder 2013]

You can buy them already paired, try to find a paired couple.

Yes, I know I could buy a mated pair, but I'm already attached.

 

[Ocellaris123]

I paired mine seperately, just have to watch them and make sure they dont rip each others arms off