Virgin Ghost Shrimp?!?

[LiveMermaid07]

mg:

Ok, I know for definite, that I only have female ghost shrimps, because when I bought them, all were 'pregnant'. That was weeks ago, all momas had their eggs in the nursery then were transfered to the main tank.

Well, now one of them has eggs again!

Do ghost shrimp have eggs even if they are not fertilized??

Thanks for u'r imput!

This is just wierd! Lol

 

[Wycco]

I don't believe shrimp have the ability to store sperm- but I also believe they will drop any infertile eggs after a short period of time.

 

[LiveMermaid07]

Ok, so they will have eggs even without a 'man'?
(lol)

 

[Wycco]

If I understand the process (never witnessed it- I just keep seeing, saddled, berried and baby shrimp without seeing any mating).

They produce eggs and become saddled when water conditions are good. Then, (from what I understand) they drop them, get a male to fertilise them and then pick them up in their swimmerets. (I believe they are fertilised externally).

They then hold on to the eggs until they hatch or the shrimp becomes stressed or the eggs are not viable.


I'm not 100% sure on this having never witnessed it... I just witness baby shrimp in the tank... but if anyone knows for sure please correct me.

 

[LiveMermaid07]

Ok, thanks, I'm gonna try to keep an eye on her and see what happens.
(though I've never had baby shrimp survive hatching in a tank with gravel,... well, and fish, lol.)

 

[jacklmoore]

They do not drop the eggs and pick them back up, the saddled female will mate with a male, the eggs will be internally fertilized and the eggs will descending down onto her swimmerets. Some species of shrimp may be able to store sperm (Caridinas and Neocaridinas can't) and , but you'll have to look up whether ghost shrimp is one of them.

This article has a few good photos of the mating process: http://www.planetinverts.com/shrimp_reproduction.html

If you have a heavily populated tank, it's not that hard to witness mating after a recent water change. If a female were to drop her eggs, it's because they were infertile.