Sezing Peppermints and Skunks

[Reef_Dweller_69]

How do you tell the sex (male/female) with the peppermint and skunk shrimp? Is it a hit or miss thing?

[zooqi]

shrimps are simultaneous hermaphrodites which mean they change sex and as far as you have two you should have them carry eggs and most of the time both (I mean same spieces). Now if you have one shrimp and is carrying eggs and fertilizes that means that it carried enough male sperms from another male or from herself in the past to last her a while. They can play both roles in sex. Go to Google or yahoo and type
simultaneous hermaphrodites shrimp
or
hermaphrodites shrimp
and you will find tons of info on shrimp sex.

[Reef_Dweller_69]

I sort of had a feeling this was the case with them, just wasn't sure so I asked. It feels good to know I am on the right track with a lot of this husbandry of reef tanks. Thanks a bunch Mo.

[Reef_Dweller_69]

Wow I just read an article after doing a web search. That is very intresting stuff. I love this hobby. Peppermint shrimp start out as male some change to female with femle organs, but also retain the male reproductive organs and are able to fertilize another females eggs. This hobby is full of great learning/educational information.

[zooqi]

they might not retain it forever but can keep sperms in female receptacle for months to fertilize the eggs.
check this one from Hawaii about cleaner shrimps
cleaner (http://www2.hawaii.edu/~delbeek/delb9.html)