Is my Ghost Shrimp SADDLED?

[ocminpin]

Okay, so Ive heard the term "saddled" around here in regards to female shrimp... And have yet to find a picture... However, I'm seeing this with one of my shrimp... Are these a cluster of unfertilized eggs?
I have another female who is berried...
Are the eggs held up high and then transferred to under belly once fertilized??



View attachment 88977

 

[MABJ]

I'm not sure either. With ghosts, it's simple. The eggs are held under their belly near their swimmerets, which fan the eggs.

You can tell if they're fertilized because you literally can see eyes in the eggs

 

[ocminpin]

I'm not sure either. With ghosts, it's simple. The eggs are held under their belly near their swimmerets, which fan the eggs.

You can tell if they're fertilized because you literally can see eyes in the eggs

This is one of my other shrimp who is berried...


View attachment 88981

 

[MABJ]

I can barely see, I'd guess yes if you have a male in the tank too. Lol

 

[Austin.b]

Yes, the first pic of your ghosties is saddled. The second pic is berried, like you already said have you ever seen a RCS with a yellow stomach? That is what being saddled is. If there are eggs I where the swimmerets are, it's being berried.

 

[ocminpin]

Yes, the first pic of your ghosties is saddled. The second pic is berried, like you already said have you ever seen a RCS with a yellow stomach? That is what being saddled is. If there are eggs I where the swimmerets are, it's being berried.

I've never seen an RCS in person ...

So... Being saddled means exactly what... Is the green splotch eggs that haven't been fertilized? I noticed a saddled shrimp about a week before I noticed the berried one... I do a headcount daily making sure everyones okay... I only have the 3 in my 29g.

And this would mean the second pic of berried shrimp means the eggs were fertilized and awaiting their 21-30 days gestation... Right?

I have one other shrimp that has neither of these...
If this is the case... This would mean I have 2 females and 1 male, correct?

I've had the shrimp approximately 6 wks or so... There have been numerous molts... I've seen approximately eight molts total... They're eating like pigs and appear healthy... I'm glad for it as I've heard shrimp can be sensitive unless in a well kept tank.

 

[Austin.b]

I've never seen an RCS in person ...

So... Being saddled means exactly what... Is the green splotch eggs that haven't been fertilized? I noticed a saddled shrimp about a week before I noticed the berried one... I do a headcount daily making sure everyones okay... I only have the 3 in my 29g.

And this would mean the second pic of berried shrimp means the eggs were fertilized and awaiting their 21-30 days gestation... Right?

I have one other shrimp that has neither of these...
If this is the case... This would mean I have 2 females and 1 male, correct?

I've had the shrimp approximately 6 wks or so... There have been numerous molts... I've seen approximately eight molts total... They're eating like pigs and appear healthy... I'm glad for it as I've heard shrimp can be sensitive unless in a well kept tank.

Being saddled means that a female shrimp is carrying unfertilized eggs. Once the eggs are fertilized by a male shrimp, the shrimp becomes berried.

View attachment 89000

^berried shrimp



View attachment 88997

^saddled shrimp

Yes, the shrimp will give birth to larvae in about a month or so.

Yes, if you have three and two are berried or saddled and the other isn't, one is a male and the other two are females. The male ghost shrimp will be much smaller than the females.

 

[Austin.b]

Ahh! Sorry, the first pic I attached is a saddled RCS

The second pic I attached is a berried RCS.

The very last picture, is a female saddled RCS, with a smaller, transparent male in front of it.

 

[ocminpin]

Ahh! Sorry, the first pic I attached is a saddled RCS

The second pic I attached is a berried RCS.

The very last picture, is a female saddled RCS, with a smaller, transparent male in front of it.

I figured your mix up.. Haha
I understand now... For an entire month none of the 3 had ANYTHING Going on... And I was beginning to wonder, although one was quite larger than other two... It looks like the 2 are females and other is male...
I would have a berried female without a male present, right?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Austin you confused us more! Lol jk, thank you for the nice presentation i had no idea male shrimp were soo much smaller then the females!

 

[ocminpin]

Austin you confused us more! Lol jk, thank you for the nice presentation i had no idea male shrimp were soo much smaller then the females!

Yes Austin, very nice! I so appreciate through responses like that

 

[Austin.b]

I figured your mix up.. Haha
I understand now... For an entire month none of the 3 had ANYTHING Going on... And I was beginning to wonder, although one was quite larger than other two... It looks like the 2 are females and other is male...
I would have a berried female without a male present, right?

Yeah haha sorry about that.

Not sure if I understand your last line of your response, but if a female shrimp is berried, then you for sure have a male shrimp present somewhere because if there wasn't a male shrimp, the female would not be berried, it would still be saddled so confusing haha

 

[Austin.b]

Austin you confused us more! Lol jk, thank you for the nice presentation i had no idea male shrimp were soo much smaller then the females!

Hahaha yeah, sorry about that!! Berried and saddled sound very similar to me and I have to often stop and think what saddled and berried is haha they are also sometimes less colorful like with RCS males

 

[Austin.b]

Yes Austin, very nice! I so appreciate through responses like that

Thanks! it was no problem at all

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hahah well i am new to the whole berried thing... At first i was like "what...someone's shrimp was buried under the gravel or something?? What the heck, they spelled it wrong." thanks for clearing things up man!

 

[Austin.b]

Hahah well i am new to the whole berried thing... At first i was like "what...someone's shrimp was buried under the gravel or something?? What the heck, they spelled it wrong." thanks for clearing things up man!

No problem

 

[Coursair]

Saddled like a saddle on the back
Berried like a cluster of berries under a branch.

Here is a vid of my first berries CRS fanning eggs. Another important term. With her swimmerets.

Sorry for the vid quality it was taken with my old iPhone.

 

[ocminpin]

You all have me sorted out and CERTAIN I have 2 females and 1 male!!
One is berried, one is saddled and the other is walking around like he's the you know what... Haha... So, thank you, thank you!

My next question is about breeding.. How does the male fertilize the eggs?

 

[jetajockey]

Ahh! Sorry, the first pic I attached is a saddled RCS

The second pic I attached is a berried RCS.

The very last picture, is a female saddled RCS, with a smaller, transparent male in front of it.

Please edit your post and put a reference link where you got the pictures from, it's important to give credit where it is due.