Cukes and Pods

[JamesB]

Upon seeing a similar post on another board, I examined my pink and black cucumber and noticed a handful of what appeared to be sores. The poster indicated that he saw amphipods pulling the flesh from his cucumber one night and suspected the sores to be due to the amphipods. In my case the sores are approximately 1/4" diameter and gray, compared to the normal pink of the cuke. The cuke has shriveled up to approximately 1/2 of its normal length, but it has done that before over the years and then returned to normal size.

Are the amphipods the likely cause of the sores? If so, is there anything (within reason) I can do about it, or is this part of the struggle for life?

TIA, James

[rshimek]

Hi James,

This is quite possible, but I have never heard of it aquaria (however, I have seen amphipod predation on other echinoderms in the field, and have also had them tear pieces of flesh from my face and lips (around my regulator when diving)).

I think this would be a good thing to document if you can. Can you get photos (please with a real camera and good film, not a digital one). Can you collect and send a couple of the amphipods to me? If you can, indicate so in a reply and I will contact you with instructions.

[JamesB]

Hi Dr.:

The only camera I maintain (batteries, film, etc.) is one of those new-fangled digital types (Olympus C3000); however, it is 3.1 megapixels. I'll try to get a few pictures, send them to you, and if they're of use to you, we'll go from there. This morning, the cuke is curled up behind the rocks and I could not get an adequate view.

If you would like to see the pods separately, just send instructions.

Later, James

[rshimek]

Hi James,

Great, 3.1 Mpix is getting into real film range and should work.

To identify the amphipods, I will need a couple of critters, though. They all look alike until you start counting the bristles on each leg segment. So if you can get one or two that you KNOW was attacking the cuke, so much the better.

[SJ Shark]

Hi,

I'm the poster from the other board that James mentioned. I attempted to take some photos of the offending critters last night, but my digital camera only has 2.1 megapixels, and they don't come out in enough detail. However, if it will help I would be happy to send you some of them to analyze. One behavior I've noticed they displace is they often seem to climb up on a cucumber, then curl up and spin, almost as though they were boring into the cuc with their legs.

I'm certain that these amphipods are the cause of the sores on my pink cucumbers. The most of the sores on mine aren't as larges as the one's James is seeing, only about 1/8" in diameter. I have actually seem the pods pull pink flesh from the cucumbers and eat it. As with James, when they are being attacked they shivel up to about half their normal size.

Please let me know if I can provide you with any more information. And thanks!

[rshimek]

Hi,

Am going to contact you by email to discuss getting some.

Many thanks for the offer!!!!!