Anatomy of a skunk cleaner shrimp

[smallblock]

As you all know i'm still trying to find the source of the "bugs in my tank.
My skunk cleaner shrimp did something strange today that i've never seen him do. I've had him for 6 months and ever since I crunk up the 72 gallon from a 55 he has been molting like crazy, once every threee weeks now. Are these shrimp a sexual, could it cross bread with a blood red? We all know these shrimp have like 8 legs and a couple of little pinchers but have you ever seen them open up thier tail section to where it looks like there are 6 more legs?

 

[smoothie]

Yeah especially when they swim upside down across the top of the water getting food

 

[smallblock]

so this is normal? I've never seen him do it he was walking across the sand and did it for a couple of seconds. Cool I had no idea he could do that. Thanks

 

[rbredding]

completely normal... they are little swimming fins located in the tail section that help them propel their self..


I see it every time mine turns upside down at the water surface to catch the flakes during a feeding... (it looks like they're dancing on the under-surface of the water)

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Yes, those are called swimmerettes. Where the shrimp carry eggs, they carry them under the swimmerettes, and will fan the eggs to oxygenate them with these appendages.

 

[smallblock]

thanks everyone