Pregnant, Blue, coral banded shrimp!?

MarsRover · Jun 17, 2017

Hey folks!

About a week ago, i noticed in my work tank what looks to be that my coral banded shrimp is pregnant!

I only have two of them in there. They are small.

Are coral banded shrimp similar to, say, clown fish, where they are hermaphrodites?

Thought this was pretty cool. Never seen a coral banded shrimp and this is so strongly evident here because she is so blue!

Marinebionerd · Jun 17, 2017

Wow that is cool I don't know if they have any relation to clownfish but definitely keep us posted

MarsRover · Jun 17, 2017

noahw. said:
Wow that is cool I don't know if they have any relation to clownfish but definitely keep us posted

I wasn't asking if they are "related to" clown fish. I was asking if anyone knew if they are heraphrodites or if they are born with distinct sexes and remain a single sex their entire lives..

Maritimer · Jun 17, 2017

Can't say for sure about the CBS, but I do seem to recall having read it somewhere about cleaners.

Very cool blues!

~Bruce

LobsterOfJustice · Jun 17, 2017

Skunk cleaner shrimp are simultaneous hermaphrodites - they are both sexes, just need another shrimp to procreate. If you have a pair, likely they will switch turns on who has the eggs. I don't know for sure CBS are the same but I would think it's safe to assume.

Mr. Bill · Jun 17, 2017

Many reef shrimp are both male and female at all times. While one cannot reproduce like certain worms, etc., if you have two, either one can play either role at will.

ReefMaster101 · Jun 17, 2017

they are very beautiful I think I recall reading that they aren't related .

sorry to disappoint anyone.

Mr. Bill · Jun 17, 2017

ReefMaster101 said:
they are very beautiful I think I recall reading that they aren't related .sorry to disappoint anyone.

You are correct...

"Gender : The male is slightly smaller and the female has bluish colored ovaries that can usually be easily seen."

https://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-CoralBandedShrimp.htm

So the Coral Banded Shrimp is single-sexed for life. Congratulations... you have a mated pair.

Katrina71 · Jun 17, 2017

How cool!

Katrina71 · Jun 17, 2017

Please keep posting pics. My son wants to see more. And he wants to know if they eat their young? ( I mention this when he makes me really mad)

Maritimer · Jun 17, 2017

Larval shrimp are planktonic, and a _lot_ of things eat them.

I'd be surprised if adult coral-banded shrimp _didn't_ attack and devour smaller individuals - they can be pretty opportunistic and territorial to boot.

~Bruce, who has been known to refer to his own (former) teenagers as "Nature's little reminders of why so many species eat their young . . . "

MarsRover · Jun 19, 2017

Mr. Bill said:
You are correct...

"Gender : The male is slightly smaller and the female has bluish colored ovaries that can usually be easily seen."

https://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-CoralBandedShrimp.htm

So the Coral Banded Shrimp is single-sexed for life. Congratulations... you have a mated pair.

haha! cool! Thanks for finding this Bill!

Katrina71 said:
Please keep posting pics. My son wants to see more. And he wants to know if they eat their young? ( I mention this when he makes me really mad)

Wilco! I get to see these two every day at my desk so i will definitely know when she births them!