As part of my advanced invertebrate zoology course I am taking right now, I will be attending a lecture on April 7th on genetic diversity in Halocaridina rubra.
I will have the opportunity to ask the researcher some questions afterwards and would be willing to ask a couple questions that some of you might have for someone who has studied these shrimp intensively.
Maybe I can help some of you who are raising these. I'll be going to Hawaii later this summer so I am going to find out how I can visit these shrimp in the wild.
Do you have questions for a Halocaridina rubra expert?
Moderator: Mustafa
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YuccaPatrol
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YuccaPatrol
- Shrimp Master
- Posts: 600
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:41 pm
- Location: Burning-Ham, Alabama
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YuccaPatrol
- Shrimp Master
- Posts: 600
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:41 pm
- Location: Burning-Ham, Alabama
Very interesting lecture. Some highlights:
1) can survive in salinity from 0-50ppt. Suggested 20ppt for breeding in home aquarium.
2) genetic studies recently completed now indicate that there are at least several and probably at least 7 distinct species of Halocaridina which may not be capable of interbreeding despite close geographical proximity between anchialine ponds on various Hawaiian Islands. It may be more correct to drop "rubra" for the time being until this is sorted out. Because of this, one cannot necessarily expect any shrimp from unknown location to breed with any other shrimp. Further study is underway on the breeding/interbreeding of shrimp from different locations.
3) These shrimp are soon to become protected, although some of their habitat is already protected, particularly on Maui. The genetic studies that have been completed will make it possible for genetic identification of shrimp that have been illegally collected from protected sites. This will assist conservation management, as they can now identify the original collection site of a shrimp within just a few miles! Poachers be warned.
4) Mustafa's profile is correct that they can live up to and beyond 20 years.
5) Light cycles seem to trigger breeding in captivity. Particularly curious because they are known only to breed underground in the wild. Researchers suspect that these light cycles affect hormones required for breeding. Again, further study is needed. The researcher told me that a sealed desktop aquarium (like a very large eco-sphere ) that he made which has travelled around the country for a decade never bred in one location, but had successful breeding when near a south facing window in another location. Others have also suggested light cycles as a breeding trigger.
I'll update with any more info when I review my notes again later.
1) can survive in salinity from 0-50ppt. Suggested 20ppt for breeding in home aquarium.
2) genetic studies recently completed now indicate that there are at least several and probably at least 7 distinct species of Halocaridina which may not be capable of interbreeding despite close geographical proximity between anchialine ponds on various Hawaiian Islands. It may be more correct to drop "rubra" for the time being until this is sorted out. Because of this, one cannot necessarily expect any shrimp from unknown location to breed with any other shrimp. Further study is underway on the breeding/interbreeding of shrimp from different locations.
3) These shrimp are soon to become protected, although some of their habitat is already protected, particularly on Maui. The genetic studies that have been completed will make it possible for genetic identification of shrimp that have been illegally collected from protected sites. This will assist conservation management, as they can now identify the original collection site of a shrimp within just a few miles! Poachers be warned.
4) Mustafa's profile is correct that they can live up to and beyond 20 years.
5) Light cycles seem to trigger breeding in captivity. Particularly curious because they are known only to breed underground in the wild. Researchers suspect that these light cycles affect hormones required for breeding. Again, further study is needed. The researcher told me that a sealed desktop aquarium (like a very large eco-sphere ) that he made which has travelled around the country for a decade never bred in one location, but had successful breeding when near a south facing window in another location. Others have also suggested light cycles as a breeding trigger.
I'll update with any more info when I review my notes again later.
YuccaPatrol
Is there any updated information from your lecture ?
I am looking into getting a group of the Shrimp.
The best/cheapest place I can find them, Say them breed them in there own pond.
Sorry to say, They sell them for Seahorse Food.
If they are breeding there own, they will not be effecting the Wild Shrimp.
John
Is there any updated information from your lecture ?
I am looking into getting a group of the Shrimp.
The best/cheapest place I can find them, Say them breed them in there own pond.
Sorry to say, They sell them for Seahorse Food.
If they are breeding there own, they will not be effecting the Wild Shrimp.
John
That pond is an anchialine pond full of wild shrimp on their property...so it's their pond. The only catch is that the anchialine ponds in Hawaii are connected with each other and the ocean underground, so taking wild shrimp out of one pond actually depletes the population in other ponds, too, as shrimp migrate between ponds underground. Right now, there is nobody who actually sells captive-bred H. rubra.Newjohn wrote: The best/cheapest place I can find them, Say them breed them in there own pond.
Sorry to say, They sell them for Seahorse Food.
If they are breeding there own, they will not be effecting the Wild Shrimp.
John
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YuccaPatrol
- Shrimp Master
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- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:41 pm
- Location: Burning-Ham, Alabama
NewJohn,
I don't have any more particularly useful information from that lecture this past spring, but would be happy to check my notes if you had a specific question.
I can confirm Mustafa's statements that the people who claim to be "breeding" them are simply harvesting wild shrimp from their privately owned pond.
Mustafa is correct that the shrimp migrate through underground channels beneath the islands, and Dr. Santos has examined gene flow between populations on these islands.
If you are up for reading a scientific paper on this subject, a PDF of his latest research is now available:
http://web6.duc.auburn.edu/~santosr/pdf ... olEcol.pdf
I don't have any more particularly useful information from that lecture this past spring, but would be happy to check my notes if you had a specific question.
I can confirm Mustafa's statements that the people who claim to be "breeding" them are simply harvesting wild shrimp from their privately owned pond.
Mustafa is correct that the shrimp migrate through underground channels beneath the islands, and Dr. Santos has examined gene flow between populations on these islands.
If you are up for reading a scientific paper on this subject, a PDF of his latest research is now available:
http://web6.duc.auburn.edu/~santosr/pdf ... olEcol.pdf
YuccaPatrol
Thank You for the link.
I hope I can understand alittle of it.
It is alittle over my head, but, I will give it a try.
As for the
Wrong information Stated in someones web-site about the captive breed.
I will have to look for another source for them.
You cannot beat the price, but , I do not want to help, to depleat the wild population.
John
Thank You for the link.
I hope I can understand alittle of it.
It is alittle over my head, but, I will give it a try.
As for the
Wrong information Stated in someones web-site about the captive breed.I will have to look for another source for them.
You cannot beat the price, but , I do not want to help, to depleat the wild population.
John
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YuccaPatrol
- Shrimp Master
- Posts: 600
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:41 pm
- Location: Burning-Ham, Alabama
Newjohn,
Even if you are not a trained biologist, you'd be surprised what you can get out of reading some of the scientific literature on subjects you are interested in.
The easiest way to approach a technical paper like this is to read the abstract and introduction. Then, if you want to avoid the intimidating scientific ramblings, just skip ahead to the ending Discussion section. Don't be worried about skipping anything that seems intimidating, you will still get some good info out of it. The material that is most intimidating is almost always the stuff that would only be interesting to a biologist who is specifically researching the same sort of stuff.
In general, the abstract is often enough to get a good feel for the content of the paper, and the introduction and discussion tend to be a bit easier on the brain as well.
Even if you are not a trained biologist, you'd be surprised what you can get out of reading some of the scientific literature on subjects you are interested in.
The easiest way to approach a technical paper like this is to read the abstract and introduction. Then, if you want to avoid the intimidating scientific ramblings, just skip ahead to the ending Discussion section. Don't be worried about skipping anything that seems intimidating, you will still get some good info out of it. The material that is most intimidating is almost always the stuff that would only be interesting to a biologist who is specifically researching the same sort of stuff.
In general, the abstract is often enough to get a good feel for the content of the paper, and the introduction and discussion tend to be a bit easier on the brain as well.