mpedersen
(Matt Pedersen)
8/25/11 10:29 PM
OK, so I have a few questions. #1 - you suggested class A, but I saw nothing in the reference to suggest any reproductive information or difficulty in culture. Do you have other insights / sources? #2 - you suggest these are destined to play a feed role. So we're trying to figure out if these should be treated as a FOOD (i.e. mysis, brine shrimp etc) or an ornamental (i.e. Peppermint Shrimp). My questions - how big are the adults, do they require chilled water, what life stage is intended to be used for food, and do you intend to fully rear the babies to maturity?
duck
(Dale Pritchard)
8/28/11 04:41 PM
Matt,
Sorry for the delay in replying. I can't find any references for the reproductive cycle or larval stages as it is not commercially farmed. As the name suggests its a common shrimp and around here they are everywhere.
There have been some studies done but I can't get access without spending some hard earned to obtain the information.
I keep them at 80f in my tanks and they seem to be doing really well suprisingly. I also keep them outside in tubs and they seem very hardy. The adults are about 3-4 inches at their biggest that I have seen. I missed a hatch but have seen some larvae around the 5mm mark in a tub outside but don't know when they hatched. None of the females are gravid at the moment, I may have to put them in a tank on their own and feed them lots to get them to moult.
I intend using the larvae as a food source for my fish if I can get the process sorted, but also as a possible commercial opportunity to sell to lfs's. They are very similar to river shrimp (which I also have) but have pincers out front.
Sorry I can't give any further info.
mpedersen
(Matt Pedersen)
8/29/11 01:51 PM
Dale, can you give us links to the studies...someone else here may have access, and we can certainly look for abstracts that might give us basic info.
Interesting side note, a related species (P. elegans) is being used in an ornamental capacity in some coldwater tanks - http://reefbuilders.com/2011/08/29/scandinavian-coldwater-reefs/#more-46798