I was fascinated. It took me a bit of time. I picked up some bottles, and brought the water up to the deck to photograph it.
According to Wikipedia:
Mature females bear a marsupium, or brood pouch, which holds her eggs while they are fertilised, and until the young are ready to hatch. As a female ages, she produces more eggs in each brood. Mortality is around 25%–50% for the eggs. There are no larval stages; the eggs hatch directly into a juvenile form, and sexual maturity is generally reached after 6 moults. Some species have been known to eat their own exuviae after moulting.
Then there is the mosquito larvae... the spring peepers are peeping again, they've been asleep since March 23rd or so. This is a sure sign they'll be popping out soon.
4 comments:
nice catches on noticing these guys!
You really poke into some interesting stuff. I remember having kids collect their jar of pond water and in science class made slides and looked for onse celled critters. I remember the look in their eyes. You should have been here to see the look in my eyes when I saw your pictures. Good research.
Not too thrilled about mosquito larvae, Jenn, but your little fairy shrimp is an interesting critter.
Sorry I haven't been commenting much lately, but I've been sick ever since we got home from our latest travels. Nothing I caught down while traveling, just chronic. Hence "unfittie" in my blog name.
K
Great photos of this little critter!
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