DanGofCalgary Posted April 29, 2013 Report Share Posted April 29, 2013 Repeat of topic posted at CAC So, another of my favorite projects from past times was getting kryptolebias marmoratus spawned and available around the clubs.As most of you know, this is an amazing unique little guy/girl. Literally. The only known true hermaphrodite invertebrate. or vertebrate... cah. Bioligy! the only known true hermaphrodite... fishie! After I had spawned them, spread them around a bit etc. I just basically left them in a tank of their own, threw food in and ignored them. they hid most of the time so it seemed a good relationship. When I did my downsizing, because they are fairly unique and high maintenance (if there is a slight crack or opening they will jump. They will live in brackish or fresh.), I kept their tank. They were down to 3 and I think they are about 3 years old now?The literature says that they will stop spawning after about a year. , so I expected these were just going to live peacefully in retirement till they passed away.. ON the edge as it were..Well, last night they sent me a postcard from that edge. There were two eggs in their mops.So, I pulled them and will try to hatch them out. I do recall that for a mop spawner they have a surpisingly long gestation period. I think it was well over a month, i don't recall completely. We shall see I suppose! I'll be collecting eggs and raising a group of these to replace my existing ones, and likely a few more than I will need. If you have an interest let me know and when they are big enough I will contact you. I think they might be around Edmonton already too. If I remember correctly I sold a couple at the Edmonton auction a few years ago. Are they around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cainechow Posted April 29, 2013 Report Share Posted April 29, 2013 Very cool fish! Do you know if yours self cloned or did the hermaphroditic deed? What kind of setup do they need? I'm gonna go do some more reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanGofCalgary Posted April 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2013 I'd go by the literature that they are hermaphrodites, so don't self clone, but self fertilize, internally before they lay the egg... I think? I keep them in a 10 gallon tank with a TIGHT fitting lid. and I do mean tight. I have a cover with a small edge hole that I use for feeding. When I am done feeding I cover that tiny (about 1 inch square?) hole back up. last year I forgot to put the cover on one night, out of a group of 10, I found 4 on the floor the next morning. In their wild state, they will often jump out of water and flop about grabbing ants and such. They can breath through their skin so long as it is moist, but unfortunately not a lot of leaf litter and things to hold moisture on the floor of my fish room.... They are amazingly unique. I think if we wipe this world out, they and cockroaches will be the survivors... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cainechow Posted April 30, 2013 Report Share Posted April 30, 2013 ...they are hermaphrodites, so don't self clone, but self fertilize... That is what I meant. I feel it is like cloning because there isn't any new genetic material added when they spawn that way. What are you doing for water? Conditioned tap vs. RO? Brackish? I'd be very tempted to give em a try if your tank becomes overflowing with these guys... Er girls... Er its? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cainechow Posted April 30, 2013 Report Share Posted April 30, 2013 Oh also, how high do you figure they jump? It would be awesome to run a tall tank only half full with mangroves and these fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanGofCalgary Posted April 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2013 I started them out brackish (3 tablespoon per gallon, if I remember correctly) which was the recommended from Bill Bishop when I bought them from him. About a year later he advised me that he'd had one jump in to a fresh water tank and not only was it thriving but it was spawning and hatching out fry in the tank! LOL! seeing as they are often found in old beer cans with a bit of rain water in them, they are pretty adaptable. I now run them in straight tap water, occasionally adding in a bit of salt if I think of it (sort of as a treat? I really have gotten sloppy with them). I have no idea how high they can jump. It's not an experiment I was willing to try. I think I was standing close one day when one jumped. It sounded pretty vigorous.... I'll defintely try to get at least one to you. If I make CAOAC I'll likely enter one of the 3 I have in the New World killie category. They aren't near as pretty but they are way more interesting to me than most of the annual and non annuals that you can get. I'll also try to bring some eggs if they are spawning still. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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