How do eyeless hatchlings find their food?

[LSuzuki]

I know there is an "eyeless" recessive gene in axolotls, and I know they can live to adulthood. The question is, how do the hatchings find their food before they are big enough to hunt by smell, since they can't see it? Or is hatchling feeding in general triggered by movement in the water and not by sight?

(And the real question: Is there some way to feed axolotls hatchlings non-live food? Just wondering - I have plenty of brine shrip eggs.)

 

[auntiejude]

I haven't found an alternative to live BBS yet, other than other live food such as baby daphnia, moina etc.

But in answer to your original question, axies, like many aquatic animals don't have ears as such. They have a set of sensors - lateral lines - that pick up vibrations and movement. They 'sense' movement, which also helps them hunt in the dark along with their sense of smell once it develops.

 

[JM29]

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...684-understanding-axolotls-body-language.html

In fact, axies have inner ears which develop at an early stage, before the lateral line.
Anyways, I think, like auntiejude, that the lateral line is the more useful sense to hunt brine shrips for example.

 

[RupertxGiles]

We once had an eyeless hatchling. We kept him alone in his own container to ensure he was eating ok. He never had any issues finding the bbs, and when he was older I would hand feed him bloodworms. Unfourtunately he died suddenly around 4 or 5 months of age. We are not sure what happened but I was heartbroken, what unique creatures eyeless axolotls. I actually have a short video of him eating here, enjoy ! https://youtu.be/6RhY8_E3Vow