Paramesotriton caudopunctatus eggs & larvae

[TJ]

I was to receive P. caudopunctatus <u>eggs</u> today from a fellow enthusiast (Mr. Masai of Ambystoma tigrinum breeding fame) who has successfully bred this species too here in Japan , but by the time the 8 that were sent arrived, 4 had already hatched

(Message edited by tj on June 05, 2006)

 

[francesco]

Hi Tim
Do paramesotriton larvae already have the front legs when just out of the egg?

 

[TJ]

I was also thinking about that, Francesco, but that seems to be the case. When I opened up the package, there were 4 eggs with embryos in them and 4 empty egg casings plus the 4 larvae. I assume he sent just eggs, and it shouldn't have taken longer than a day or two for them to reach me by parcel post. Maybe Paris could shed some light on this matter...

 

[andy]

I've found Paramesotritons to be quite developed upon hatching...complete with front legs.

 

[TJ]

Thanks, Andy. I was just now reading an old post by Chris Michaels in which he made a similar comment:

"they are slow growers, but they also hatch out a lot more developed than many other newt genera, with legs and everything"

 

[andy]

Yes Tim, they're ready to eat a bit quicker than most taddies too in my experience.
I find Paramesotriton quite easy to raise to metamorphosis....but tricky after they morph.

 

[paris]

they pop out with front legs, yes, but it usually stops at the elbow. they are slow hatchers and slow growers. it seems water changes will trigger hatching. they like daphnia by far more than black worms.

 

[TJ]

Andy, I tried and failed miserably at raising P. hongkongensis beyond metamorphosis a couple of years back, so I know all too well what you mean

Paris, thanks for the info.

Daphnia is not readily available here unless I can get some from a pond, and blackworms are not available period. I've start on a batch of baby brine though. After that they'll be put on live tubifex and then graduate to frozen bloodworm, which is the staple food around here. Morphs get tiny wax worms, baby crickets, tiny pillbugs, and hand-fed frozen bloodworm if they'll take it.

(Message edited by tj on May 28, 2006)

 

[juraj]

Hi Tim,
daphnia is very easy to culture. You can get far enough for 8 larvae in a short time.
Good luck with the larvae.

 

[TJ]

Thanks Juraj. I've always managed fine with baby brine shrimp, and that's what they're feeding on now --but I'd like to get around to daphnia one of these days!

6 down and 2 to go now (meaning only 2 more eggs left to hatch)

 

[paris]

the down side to bbs is their short life span. with daphnia i just put more in the water on a regular basis and they eat as they like. also daphnia are drawn to light-so if you want them concentrated on a regular basis to the bottom of the tank you just fix a light to shine through the bottom of the tank and they will be easy for the little guys to get.

 

[mark]

That's a great tip about shining a light through the bottom of the tank Paris, I've never thought of trying that.

Tim, you should definitely give daphnia a go. In the summer it's easy to culture them. Just place a large container of water in full sun outdoors and get some pond dippings in there. In a few weeks it'll be teeming with them. In rearing tanks with low numbers of larvae, daphnia will sometimes reproduce fast enough in the tank to provide constant food -hassle free

.

 

[paris]

mark,
you know me, full of handy dandy cost cutting caudate tips---just call me the Heloise of newts--

this may be a cultural reference you dont have in the UK, if so here is her web site: http://heloise.com/

 

[TJ]

Will give daphnia a go

(Message edited by tj on June 05, 2006)

 

[TJ]

 

[TJ]

 

[TJ]

 

[chris]

Looking good. They are certainly very different from hongkongensis and fuzhongensis larvae - the head has a different profile shape, the colour is more grey than black and the gills are more translucent.

 

[TJ]

Hi Chris, nice observations. I should point out though that they are pretty black. Being both black and tiny, it's really hard to get decent photos of them. I had to adjust the contrast a bit to be able to show their features, which may have made them seem greyish when they're really not so. Here's a top view of the head:

 

[TJ]

From what I've gleaned from Mr., Masai, these larvae are of the "green type" caudopunctatus (the same type I have at home). I recently took photos of some "brown type" ones that I'll post later.

He said he cools them in the winter, with the water temperature in February getting down to 5 C. In the summer, it gets as high as 27 C. They laid eggs at 17 C. No artificial light is used, just natural light that filters in through a window. The rocks the newts used as oviposition sites were smooth and stacked on top of each other leaving gaps up to 1 cm wide, where eggs were laid. He said they also laid eggs on a tank accessory, as was the case with Paris' caudopunctatus. Seems to have been a smooth articifial rock with indentations. He thinks having a slight current might have been important. He uses an external filter with a shower element positioned over the water surface. He wanted me to ask what Paris used for current and also if she does anything to give multiple males in the same tank their own territory. He takes pieces of plastic punchboard, like that used as tank separators for tropical fish, and sets them at slight angles along the length of the tank. where they serve as shelters rather than being separators. Above them, he said, he places more punchboards to form "lofts." I'm supposed to be getting photos sooner or later to get the idea.

(Message edited by TJ on June 14, 2006)