Need to ID a new-found tank member

[Bradder]

This morning I turned on the tank light and saw, for the first time since the tank was established (6 weeks ago), an unknown creature on the gravel substrate. Once the light was on he/she/it slowly walked into a cave, climbed up the side of the wall, and disappeared into the darkness.

Whatever it is, it probably stowed away (as an egg maybe?) on the plants- though I never saw it during arranging and rearranging during the initial tank set-up. It also had to have gone through the tank cycling with 5 swordtails- though the amonia and nitrite levels never did reach critical levels.

I have no idea how what it is and hope someone can help identify it for me:

The animal is slender-bodied, very pale floresent pink (cooked shrimp) in color, and is about 1.5 inches long. Has a rounded, almost bulbous, head (no protusions) and all I could see were six legs toward the front. The tail appeared to have three fins. Though I am sure it has eyes there were no dark spots visable. The body was straight and when it walked it was just a slow crawl with no additional body movement.

Basically, it looked like a small, light-pink, praying mantis with 6 very short legs and a 3-pronged tail and has survived 6 weeks, undetected, through a lew-level tank cycling that now houses 21 4-week-old, swordtail fry (46 US gallon).

Stores, of course, are closed; my books give no indication; and net searches haven't helped. Need your help with this - you have always come through in the past !

 

[tstenback]

was it a shrimp? here is a link to some pics

 

[Bradder]

Thanks for the quick reply, tstenback. I had seen this site as well and I am assuming it is some type of shrimp. This thing looks like it could be a Yamato or a Wood/Singapore with some major exceptions:

As for the Yamato- the head on "my creature" distinctly rounded with no feelers or any stripe down the back. Probably being a juvenile, though, I have no idea if the shape of head and the stripe would come with age . The color of this one in my tank is identical to the photo of the Yamato, though.

The Wood/Singapore shrimp looks more like it- having the very straight body. That article does state they can change colors, but the body of that pic appears flatter (may be just the photos). The creature I have has a disticly round body (more like that of the Yamato). The head of "mine" appears much more distinct and rounded than the one shown. This pic seems to show no whiskers, but the nose seems very pointed. This, too, may change as they age - I'm just not sure .

I am totally clueless on shrimp (or anything other than fish for that matter) so I don't knw how they mature. Appreciate your help (or anyone else with any idea) and if you have further questions, suggestions, and/or ideas I am ready to learn.

Thanks

 

[Teelie]

What about a Scud? http/www.vtmnh.vt.edu/sos/images/scud.gif

 

[Bradder]

Thanks Teelie for the reference, but that doesn't seem to be it either. The more I see of this thing, the more I am not convinced it is a shrimp.

The body is very straight, ending in a three-finned tail, and no apparent segmentation in the body. The only segmentation appears to be at the head/body juncture (almost a neck indentation) which is where all of the legs originate. The head is definately a separate section, with what appears to be large eye structures, but no differentiating pigmentation. The head does seem to be able to rotate.

Only comes out at night. Have never seen it swim; it just crawls across the bottom of the tank back to the filter when the lights come on.

Anyone with new ideas

 

[MAM]

any possible of getting a picture of it

 

[Lenna]

Could it be a dragonfly larva? Your description sounds like it to me.

 

[Max]

is this salt, im sure it is but it was in with fresh water on that link tstenback gave...

well here is the picture...

 

[Bradder]

YES! Thank you, thank you, thank you all !

I have to admit dragonfly lavae would have never ocurred to me - I guess until it matured and started flying around the living room . I had no idea they had such a strange life-cycle-- but I could have taken this pic this morning! Perfect match.

Dragonfly Lavae

You guys are great and I kenw someone (some ones?) would come through with the answer. Any idea whas as to what I should do with it?

 

[karrihug]

how on earth did you get a dragonfly larvea in your aquarium?

 

[jaimoe]

It sounds like some kind of alien to me . Kill it and call the Air Force ASAP.

 

[modernhamlet]

Dragonfly larvae are dangerous, possibly deadly, to fry and other small fish. I'd siphon him out of there.

 

[Teelie]

Besides which, once it matures, you'll have it flying around the house terrorizing you instead.

 

[petitericeball]

get the fly swatter 8P

 

[Bradder]

Thanks for the information- and the suggestions -- Syphon, flyswatter, and govenrment agent on hand.

He will be taken out of the tank this evening (will have to trick him with no lights to, hopefully, bring him out into the open) and I will then deposit him in my outdoor pond (which has plants and no fish).

Kerrihug, several people IMed me and said it was not unusual (!) for them to stow away on plants. Evidently, he came in as an egg, or as a very tiny baby, when I first set up the tank. Go figure- I have never had it happen, or heard of it, in my 35+ years of fish, but there is always a first time I guess; always learning as usual.

Again, thanks for everyone's help. Hope this can help others as well, if they ever find an alien in their tank!