Update on 'pods, i.e. skeleton shrimp. Yesterday I observed a particularly large male snatch and eat an small unsuspecting sea spider that was trying to suck the juice out of one of my hot pink palythoas.(I hope that was the only sea spider I had in the tank!!!) The sea spider fought back but was no match for the scythe-like front arms and grasshopper-like mandibles of the skeleton shrimp. The skeleton shrimp seems to have staked out this particular paly patch as his own territory and only allows females that are available and ready to mate into his feeding area. Even though this skeleton shrimp ate some of the sea spider after killing it, I have come to believe that the primary diet of these amphipods is the bacterial slime that covers most objects in a reef tank. I did verify the carnivorusness of skeleton shrimp by hand feeding a tiny piece of grocery store shrimp to several pods. They take it right out of my hand(on the end of a bamboo stick)and spend several days eating it.) This all happened at night long after all lights were out and I was observing the tank with a red laser LED flashlight. I am now housing my third generation of these pods. Another note: They seem to not be even slightly aggressive toward "Tiger" copepods(amphipods?) or Harpacticoid Copepods, often letting them come so close to them they touch without a territorial response except when a female skeleton is raising newly hatched babies.
I wish I had a better macro on my camera to get more pictures, I know you want to see them in detail.
Also if anyone has a nano or pico reef tank with coral only, No fish or shrimps (snails and hermits don't seem to be a problem) I would be willing to mail you a male and pregnant female for just the cost of shipping. I would love to spread these guys into the hobby.
that is all for now...
for more pics. 