There is a group of animals sometimes overlooked in aquaria — but those who keep them know what interesting creatures they can be. These are the crustaceans. In fact, we have two articles on crustaceans this issue, one freshwater and one saltwater: “Setting Up for Shrimp” by Nathan Yates and “Harboring Hermits” by Scott Michael.
We all know that a lot of crustaceans can be good scavengers — but they deserve more credit than that. One member of our staff keeps a ghost shrimp in a small tank. I was in charge of feeding the animals in the tank for a little while after these ghost shrimp arrived. Most people picture these animals just sitting around the bottom or climbing around — which can still be interesting. But when I first looked into the tank, I saw one of the ghost shrimp speeding around the aquarium, paddling its little legs. Then when I put the flake food in, this shrimp turned upside down at the water surface to try and access the food. These are some fascinating little animals! The Singapore flower shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis), also known as the wood shrimp, has little “mitts” that it uses to filter food from the water. Both these species are discussed in Nathan Yates’ shrimp article.
The hermit crabs covered in Scott Michael’s article are equally interesting. These animals will battle for their “mobile homes” — with the winner evicting the loser from its dwelling.
Switching back over to fish, one species worth mentioning in this issue is the four-eyed fish (Anableps anableps). These fish float at the surface, and can see clearly both above and below the water line because of a special set of pupils. Another interesting fact about them is that they can be thought of as “one-sided livebearers.” Turn to Iggy Tavares’ “The Four-Eyed Fish” to find out all about them.
And don’t forget: The saltwater show MACNA XXI will be held on September 25 to September 27 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Speakers will include Julian Sprung, Bob Fenner and AFI columnist/feature writer Scott Michael, among many others. For more information, visit macnaxxi.com.