the sex of your emeralds

[EMBRYOGUY]

anyone that eats crabs will know what im talking about.

have you ever looked at the underside of yoru emerald crabs? males have a slender appendage whereas the females have a wider one.

next time you buy emeralds, select at least one of each, that way they have a good chance to mate and release eggs into your reef to help feed your livestock :)

just a thought :) i will now always flip over all future emerald crab purchases :)

[bmkindig]

hey huey,
does that hold true for emeralds thou?

[EMBRYOGUY]

yes brad, apparently, my bro. was told this by a lfs guy in ct. and he has two that are making babies all the time :)

[assassinco97]

Is it possible to actually rear these babies

[holeinone1972]

Most crustaceans that we keep are not able to be reared into our tanks, as we cannot supply the food needed. But they will feed your reef. I had a cleaner shrimp who always let eggs go, weird part is there was only one. They are capable of self reproduction. Weird.

Rob

[EMBRYOGUY]

very very good point heleione. i have a pair of harlequins also that are carrying eggs, but prob will not live :(

[assassinco97]

Crabs and shrimps will carry eggs regardless of the presence of a male in the tank if its a female.....the male is only needed for the fertilization of the eggs to make them viable.....Bout time I used that education

Ed

[EMBRYOGUY]

thanks for insight assass.

how do they fert. the eggs. i surmise there is some form of copulation involved :) so the sperm comes in close promity to the eggs.