View Full Version : Emerald Crab Mating
Particleman
03-09-2005, 5:21 PM
Ok..last night I notice that my only two emerald crabs in my tank where locked in an incredibly tight embrace. One was on top of the othen with the underside facing each other. Lasted a few minutes then that was about it. Does this seem like a mating thing to anyone?? Anything else I should I look for?
Well if it was mating the girl will have little eggs under her tail. It's curled up under her body the eggs should make it look lumpy and you probably can see them. Part of this is an assumption because if they were dispersal spawners you would have seen eggs and sperm going into your tank in fairly large numbers. Look for an egg ball if you didn't on the female. It might also have been them solving some sort of territorial issue.
hth
chris
mogurnda
03-09-2005, 9:28 PM
Pman, your description is just like the pictures of mating in my invert zoology books. Did you avert your eyes?
Chris, you were right the first time. She will carry the eggs glued to her tail until they hatch, then she'll release the planktonic larvae. The eggs may be hard to see, but she'll be pumping her telson to keep them aerated.
Particleman
03-10-2005, 1:09 AM
Guess I should be in vegas , what are the odds that the only to emerald crabs I have would be male and female. Unless they change sexes like some of the fish but i didnt think inverts did that. Anyway I'm guessing there is ZERO chance any will develope into new crabs???
mogurnda
03-10-2005, 7:05 AM
Just about zero, I'm afraid. Nice plankton for the tank, though.
corriewf
03-10-2005, 7:51 AM
Wow! First ive heard of them mating in captivity.
Thanks Dave that's what I thought but, I wasn't 100% sure. I just wanted to give the poster the other possiblities for crustacean breeding and territorial displays.
Corrie , lots of these guys reproduce in our tanks and we never know. The plankton usually just doesn't do very well in a tank. The only exceptions I can think of are the tunicates ," or some of em anyway". They have pretty big larvae they look sort of like tiny tadpoles and are free swimming for a while. The then attach their heads to new home.
That was so off topic sorry particleman
corriewf
03-10-2005, 12:32 PM
Here you go fellas.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm
Particleman
03-10-2005, 4:27 PM
Well I'll take the breeding thing as a sign that my tank is doing well. :)
corriewf
03-11-2005, 7:43 AM
I would take your test results as your tank doing well over two emeralds lust for each other.
Particleman
03-11-2005, 1:58 PM
Well parameters have never been a concern, in fact nitrates are finally starting to come down now that the refugium is dong it's job..
0 Amonia
0 Nitrites
10 Nitrates
temp 78.5
salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
Next big investment will be on the lighting system...