Where do mysis in our tanks come from?

[Dennis Cartier]

I have been watching the mysid shrimp zip around in my tank amongst the monticaps, out of reach of the predators, and it got me to wondering if it's possible for mysid shrimp to be seeded from feeding frozen mysis. I know that they are most likely coming in on frags as hitchiker's, but could it also be possible that amongst the daily feed of frozen mysis, some viable embryos are being introduced? The female shrimp carry the juvenile shrimp in a pouch within her body and release them when they are grown. If a female shrimp is carrying fertilized eggs that are at an early stage of development, could they survive the freezing and thawing process and end up as live, viable embryos?

I have a tank raised matted filefish in there, that was 1" long when I got him. He was a tiny little guy. He is now a 3" long beast. I was worried that there might not be enough food for him and cause him to dine on my LPS, but so far he is growing like a weed and has not touched any corals. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

 

[Lavey29]

Hhmmm a cryogenic state frozen and then thawed out in the future.....cool

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Hmm, looks like I am going to debunk my own theory. Apparently the frozen mysis shrimp we feed are Mysis diluviana, and they come from cold fresh water lakes, like the great lakes and other Canadian lakes. So the mysids in our warm, salty, reef tanks hitch hiked their way in.

 

[JGT]

Hmm, looks like I am going to debunk my own theory. Apparently the frozen mysis shrimp we feed are Mysis diluviana, and they come from cold fresh water lakes, like the great lakes and other Canadian lakes. So the mysids in our warm, salty, reef tanks hitch hiked their way in.

Have to say, I thought that was a stretch. I have thousands that came in on live rock. Really only come out after lights are out. They glide over everything. Always on the move.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Are you sure these aren't amphipods you are watching?

 

[Lavey29]

I'd love to have a population in my tank.

 

[JGT]

Are you sure these aren't amphipods you are watching?

Def not. Have some of those but thousands of mysis. Very different looking then amphs. Look like they have 1 glowing eye and no real detectable legs although I’m sure they have them.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Are you sure these aren't amphipods you are watching?

No they are definitely mysids. They are about 1/2" long, have slender body with 2 pincers, and swim fairly fast. Look very different than amphipods.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have been watching the mysid shrimp zip around in my tank amongst the monticaps, out of reach of the predators, and it got me to wondering if it's possible for mysid shrimp to be seeded from feeding frozen mysis. I know that they are most likely coming in on frags as hitchiker's, but could it also be possible that amongst the daily feed of frozen mysis, some viable embryos are being introduced? The female shrimp carry the juvenile shrimp in a pouch within her body and release them when they are grown. If a female shrimp is carrying fertilized eggs that are at an early stage of development, could they survive the freezing and thawing process and end up as live, viable embryos?

I have a tank raised matted filefish in there, that was 1" long when I got him. He was a tiny little guy. He is now a 3" long beast. I was worried that there might not be enough food for him and cause him to dine on my LPS, but so far he is growing like a weed and has not touched any corals. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Hitchhikers, come with chaeto, and caught up in net with a new fish purchase, Are you sure theyre Mysis or Gammas ?

 

[Nano sapiens]

I believe that Mysid Shrimp can be introduced both via frags/live rock and via some non-irradiated brands of frozen Mysid.

I had a nice population develop a few short months after feeding a less well-known brand of temperate brackish water non-irradiated frozen Mysid. I hadn't added new corals in maybe 6 months and I had never seen Mysids in my nano tank in the years before they showed up after frozen Mysid feeding, so I suspect that some embryos survived the freezing process. 'Life will find a way' comes to mind

Neat story:

https://reefbuilders.com/2019/09/25/new-species-of-mysis-shrimp-discovered-in-an-aquarium/

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Hitchhikers, come with chaeto, and caught up in net with a new fish purchase, Are you sure theyre Mysis or Gammas ?

I am pretty sure they are not Gammarid shrimp as their bodies are sleek and long and not compressed and rounded like a Gammarid or amphipod. That being said, when I look at mysid photos, I don't see the pronounced fore limbs with pincers that these guys appear to have.

They move so quick and never seem to stop swimming. I am going to have to try and get a video of one to slow it down and get a better look. I have a monticap growing up the side of my frag tank, getting way out of control really, but it provides a nice backlit viewing area that these guys patrol while the lights are on. I will take some video and see if I can capture one in frame.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I am pretty sure they are not Gammarid shrimp as their bodies are sleek and long and not compressed and rounded like a Gammarid or amphipod. That being said, when I look at mysid photos, I don't see the pronounced fore limbs with pincers that these guys appear to have.

They move so quick and never seem to stop swimming. I am going to have to try and get a video of one to slow it down and get a better look. I have a monticap growing up the side of my frag tank, getting way out of control really, but it provides a nice backlit viewing area that these guys patrol while the lights are on. I will take some video and see if I can capture one in frame.

pics and videos under white lighting will be very helpful

 

[Dennis Cartier]

pics and videos under white lighting will be very helpful

Here is my first attempt at capturing these guys on video. Under normal lights (blueish), sorry, and I spend most of the video trying to get the camera to focus on the underside of the monti where I typically see them. There are a couple at the beginning, and a few during the last 3 or 4 seconds of the video.

While using a magnifying glass, I don't see the arms and pincers that I thought I saw, and they do look more like a mysid. I will try and get some better images.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here is my first attempt at capturing these guys on video. Under blues, sorry, and I spend most of the video trying to get the camera to focus on the underside of the monti where I typically see them. There are a couple at the beginning, and a few during the last 3 or 4 seconds of the video.

While using a magnifying glass, I don't see the arms and pincers that I thought I saw, and they do look more like a mysid. I will try and get some better images.

I was unable to see much but caught a glimpse of what looked like either a Tanaid or a Calanoid copepod

 

[Dennis Cartier]

If you watch the last seven seconds of the video (02:00 - 02:07), you will see three come into frame. One on the bottom of the frame, one on the side and one that goes across the middle to the top. The final one just before the video ends, gives the best view as he is the largest of the three.

Unfortunately, pausing the video turns them into blurry shapeless masses.

 

[Rjramos]

I have them in the refugium of every system I have set up, along with amphipods. Also can be seen under thin tight horizontal spaces between rocks, where fish and other inverts cannot. Very fast swimmers. Over the years something has led me to believe they comes from using miracle mud in my refugiums, lol.

 

[JasPR]

Hmm, looks like I am going to debunk my own theory. Apparently the frozen mysis shrimp we feed are Mysis diluviana, and they come from cold fresh water lakes, like the great lakes and other Canadian lakes. So the mysids in our warm, salty, reef tanks hitch hiked their way in.

exactly

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Here is some better video. I found a spot behind a magnetic frag rack where the large ones like to hang out. Way better view than the previous attempt.

First one with white light ...




... and then one with tank lights (easier to see some features like huge eyes)

 

[JGT]

Mine look exactly the same. They are all over my tank once lights go out.