OK, I will do that, but what is the risk. I have alot of isopods in my tank, is this a different type that is dangerous?
This thing here is parasitic and contagious. There was discussions about it in an earlier thread. I operated and was successful a couple of times and then I killed a shrimp on my last attempt. I think JustDavidP had a treatment plan. I can't remember the name of the thread now.
Pair of tweezers and a steady hand should work! BTW Premium Aquatics gets 4 thumbs up from me for rubble, thier live rock tho falls under "you get what you paid for". It's as good as my LFS which is to say a 4 or 5 out of 10 quality wise but a 9 on price. My rubble actually had MUCH more life on it then my LR did
My rubble actually had MUCH more life on it then my LR did
That is a common occurance. The rubble at the bottom of a box of live rock tends to stay wet longer and is also the recipient of life abandoning the drying live rock above it.
A lot easier in concept than in reality. A pair of tweezers to a shrimp is like a backhoe to us. Getting under the caraspace to extract the pest without harm to the shrimp is not that simple. I've done it, but I have also failed.
I was referred to this article by someone on RC. It is termed an Epicaridean isopod. Hopefully I can get some more information on it from Dr. Adelaide Rhodes and maybe even Brian Plankis since it is on an invert.
I was referred to this article by someone on RC. It is termed an Epicaridean isopod. Hopefully I can get some more information on it from Dr. Adelaide Rhodes and maybe even Brian Plankis since it is on an invert.
I wish I could help you on this one, but I'm not familiar with Epicaridean isopods (I would agree from the position on the body that it might be one of those). I would suggest posting your picture in Dr Shimek's forum on marine depot and see what he says about removing it. I do agree you should try to remove it.
Thanks for the info Veriann, I sent out the following Email:
Mr. Anderson, I appreciate you taking the time to read and reply to this message. I found your name after performing a broad web search on the term "Epicaridean isopods". I have a situation where I believe my pet cleaner shrimp may also be hosting an Epicaridean isopod. After much searching and posts on forums I am getting mixed responses as to how harmful this is to the cleaner shrimp and my 65 Gallon reef system in general. Since your credentials state that one of you main studies is the Epicaridean isopod I believe that you would be one of the best people to ask about this situation. I am a member of an online group of reef keepers that share and post information just like this on a site at www.talkingreef.com. I hope that you have the time to answer the following questions so we may be better educated and in turn we hope to post this information so others may learn from it as well. Here are the questions: In you opinion, is the shrimp in the attached photo hosting an Epicaridean isopod? If it indeed is an Epicaridean isopod, what are the long term effects on the shrimp? Should an extraction of the isopod be attempted? I currently have fish, corals, shrimp, crabs, starfish and snails within my reef system. What, if any, is the risk to the other residents of my reef?
If you would like to view other information on my system, my reef journal can be located at Wildeone's Newest Obsession I really appreciate you taking the time to read and answer this message. Thanks again,
Duane Wilde
So everyone knows, Dr. Anderson is a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and lists amoung his research the biology of epicardian isopods.
I also emailed Dr. Adelaide Rhodes on the subject to see if she has any information that would be helpful.
Also, late last night, I posted questions about this subject at Reef Central. Steven Pro chimed in and said that these Isopods are considered non life threatening to the shrimp. He noted the only harm done would be to the reproductive capabilities of the host. He also said no quarentine or extraction was necessary. So as with everything else in this hobby there are differing opinions. I think we will let the Doctors sort this one out!
Here is the message to and response from Dr. Rhodes.
Dr. Rhodes, I was wondering if you could shed some light on a possible Epicaridean isopod that I believe has attached itself to my cleaner shrimp. The identification has been determined solely on opinion of other hobbiests in open forum discussion on reef central and Talking Reef. I have posted the photos to my tank jounal on Talkingreef, the link to that information is Wildeone's Newest Obsession and it is post #425. Feel freee to leave your reply in the jounal thread if you like.
If this is an Epicaridean isopod, would you happen to know if I need to do anything drastic such as an extraction or quarentine of the host? From what I have researched online, these seem to not cause the death of the host, therefore not a major issue to my reef. Any information you can shed would be appreciated and posted for others to learn from. I appreciate yout aking the time out of youyr schedule to help me. Thanks again!
Dear Duane - Well, that is an exciting event! I am a little out of my depth here, as I know more about food organisms than little parasites. However, not all parasites are killers. I dipped into any literature I could find on this type of isopod, and it appears to operate by attaching to the female sexual organs of its host. This forces the Lysmata shrimp, which is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, to use only its male sexual organs for reproduction. This seems to be a relationship that has co-evolved, and may have genetic implications, but it is unclear to date what those are. The shrimp can still reproduce, just as a male. Therefore, if you don't have a breeding pair of shrimp in there, both with parasites, all of your other tank animals are probably safe. Parasitic isopods tend to be very species specific, you won't see a shrimp parasite jumping to a fish, for example. So, you probably don't need to go to extremes to remove it, just enjoy it as a natural part of the diversity of your tank system. Hope my limited knowledge helps in your quest on this very interesting symbiotic relationship! Adelaide
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