Peppermint
Shrimp
Reproduction and How Changes in the Environment Affect Shrimp
Why did we choose the shrimp?
It’s different
They’re like pets
You can touch them without them running away (unlike those
of you who chose fish)
We didn’t know much about them and we wanted to learn
more
Background
Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata Wurdemanni)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthrapoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Hippolytidae
Genus: Lysmata
Species: Lysmata Wurdemanni
http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=60828
Background
- Are born as males
- However they molt 4 times and have the ability to
become a female after a molt
- Hermaphrodite
- Tank cleaners
- Eat dead organisms and parasites off of other
organisms
- Moslty found in Atlantic Coast of U.S.
- Nocturnal
Research Questions
Can L. wurdemanni be trained?
Will dipping their tentacles into fresh water prevent them from finding a source of food nearby?
Will 6 L. wurdemanni reproduce in a 50 gallon tank?
What can we change/add/remove from the tank to make a better place for reproduction and
life?
How often do the L. wurdemanni lay eggs? Will we be able to monitor who is laying eggs?
Research Questions
Can L. wurdemanni be trained?
http://www.amazon.com/
Research Questions
Will dipping their tentacles into fresh water
prevent them from finding a source of food
nearby?
Research Questions
Will 6 L. wurdemanni reproduce in a 50 gallon
tank?
Research Questions
What can we change/add/remove from the tank
to make a better place for reproduction and
life?
http://www.cleanfish.com/
Research Questions
How often do the L. wurdemanni lay eggs? Will
we be able to monitor who is laying eggs?
www.reefsafe.co.uk
Background Research
April Kirkendoll How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp Second Edition
2008
Porter Betts Behavior and Breeding of Peppermint Shrimp 2014
Saltwater Aquarium 101 -- The Basics
Boston Reefers -- Learning from others who have peppermint shrimp
Hypothesis
By blinding, controlling the diet of, and training
the L. wurdemanni we will be able to change
their baseline behavior of reproduction, finding
food, and behavior around humans.
Research Plan
Invert Tank → Tank 7
Our goal was to watch how peppermint shrimp
behaved and ultimatley raise their larvae if they
ever reproduced
Daily Tests: Ph, Temperature, Salinity
New Arrival (10/30/14)
Staying Together (10/30/14)
They Love to Hide (10/30/14)
Being Fed Video
Cleaning the Tank (11/30/14)
Becoming Familiar With Human Interactions (11/30/14)
Maturing (11/30/14)
The New Tank 7 (1/30/15)
Hiding in New Tank (1/23/15)
Marking its Territory (1/30/15)
Climbing on Hands (3/26/15)
Speed Test Video
Research Questions
Can L. wurdemanni be trained?
Yes, but it takes a lot of time and constant attention.
- Shrimp slowly became more comfortable
- Responded well to human hands
- Trust
- Our hands would have to be within 5 inches of them
- Respond fondly to food
Research Questions
Will dipping their tentacles into fresh water
prevent them from finding a source of food
nearby?
Unkown
- We did not run this test because when we did research we heard from
other reefers that this is potentially very dangerous and can cause cells to
explode (http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?2907-Don-t-freshwater-dip-shrimp)
- We didn’t want to take the risk
Research Questions
Will 6 L. wurdemanni reproduce in a 50 gallon
tank?
Yes, however ours did not
- We were not able to spot eggs
- Do not know why they wouldn’t reproduce
- Last week a shrimp in the frag tank was spotted with
eggs
Research Questions
What can we change/add/remove from the tank
to make a better place for reproduction and
life?
Manipulation of environment made them uncomfortable.
- Love to hide
- Moved rocks to make them more visible
- Changing homes
- Did not induce reproduction
- Older vs. Newer Shrimp
Research Questions
How often do the L. wurdemanni lay eggs? Will
we be able to monitor who is laying eggs?
We were able to spot eggs, and we were not able to single out 1 shrimp from
the other
- Can tell difference between large and small
- Begin to look the same as they mature
Were we right?
By blinding, controlling the diet of, and training
the L. wurdemanni we will be able to change
their baseline behavior of reproduction, finding
food, and behavior around humans.
We were right in terms of training the shrimp.
We were wrong in the terms that we could encourage reproduction.
Conclusion
Sadly, our plan was never ready for action
because our shrimp never reproduced
If we had more time:
We would wait for them to reproduce and try to
raise the larvae using April Kirkendoll’s book
Bibliography
101-Saltwater-Aquarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.101-saltwater-aquarium.com/others-careinformation/peppermint-shrimp.php>.
Betts, Porter. Feature Article: Behavior And Breeding Of Peppermint Shrimp. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/4/aafeature>
Boston Reefers. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?2907-Don-t-freshwater-dipshrimp>.
Fishlore. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.fishlore.com/how-to-raise-train-peppermint-shrimp.htm>.
Kirkendoll, April. How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp Second Edition. 2nd ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Marshall, Michael. Zoologger: Shrimp plays chicken with its sex change. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Saltwater Fish. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://forums.saltwaterfish.com/index.php?threads/peppermint-shrimp-vsanemone.306753/>.
3 Reef. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.3reef.com/threads/freshwater-dip-how-to.62138/>.
Whitby, Paul. "Pests, Parasites And Things That Go Munch In The Night, Part 1." Reef keeping Magazine: n. pag. Print.