Spermatophores!?!

[David Tobler]

Hi all...

I figure this is the place to ask. I've been looking around online for the answers before comming here. It looks to me that I have some spermatophores deposited in my tank by my Ambystoma maculatum.

Some backstory to this... I had picked up a group of adult spotties from a wholeseller, a placed them all in plastic storage containers with spagnum moss for substrate. Last week I noticed a couple of the females looked rather plump, despite some minimal/maintance feeding on my part. I thought this could be from them possibly developing eggs? I decided to place the 2 females and 3 mature males in a small tank (exo terra terrarium) with some sloped gravel, pothos cuttings and driftwood. I have a small pump with some tubing up the background, making somewhat of a rainchamber.

Fast foward to the last couple days.... I noticed a couple chunky bright white, mucus covered deposites on the pothos cuttings. At first I thought it could be feces, or a bit of shed skin. Though, it seemed too well attached. From what I can tell from online pictures and descriptions, they seem to be sermatophore deposits.

Now my questions... Is this a sure sign of breeding activity? IF the female was to have taken up one of the spermatophore deposits, how long before she will then deposite her fertilized egg mass?

I'll try to get a decent picture of the mass later....

 

[digger]

If they are anything like axolotls anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days.

 

[Kaysie]

If the female were to lay eggs, I believe this would be the first instance of A. maculatum breeding in captivity.

 

[Jennewt]

That would be neat. If you find another fresh one, can you take a photo?

I'm thinking the females might need to have a larger water area to lay eggs. I believe they often lay a mass surrounding a stick of some kind, so maybe put some sticks in the water.