![]() ![]() Sea-Monkeys can stay in this state for up to 2 years. ![]() The ability of unhatched "Sea-Monkeys" that allows them to be packaged and shipped is that they enter cryptobiosis, a suspended animation that occurs naturally in Sea-Monkeys in order to help them survive until ideal conditions appear. They are a variant of brine shrimp or Artemia salina. It is sold under the title "The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys Ocean-Zoo". Inside, there are water purifier, eggs and food. They are often sold in a blue or red, plastic aquarium. Sea-Monkeys is the brand name for Artemia sold in hatching kits, as a novelty aquarium pet aimed at children, in the United States and the United Kingdom since 1960. Most hatch from unfertilized eggs which can withstand freezing and drought, and can hatch after 12 months as long as 25 years after they are released from the female.They are omnivores, diging around in the mud searching for plankton and larger prey such as worms, chironomid larvae, small, dying or weak tadpoles, and even each other Their jaws (mandibles) are quite large, with many toothlike projections.They have broad, plate-like carapace that covers their head and the front part of the thorax and a long, narrow tail.There are only two groups - the Triops and Lepidurus totalling nine species, considerably less than any of the other branchiopod groups.Their eggs will survive drought and large temperature extremes for several years and hatch about 30 hours after rains fill the pools where they live.They are mainly herbivores eating algae from the plankton although some larger species are predators.They have elongate bodies with leaf-like appendages that they use to swim belly up.tThey live in fresh or saltwater but not in oceans or seas.They are either herbivores, filtering plankton, or carnivores.The small number of Cladocerans living in marine habitats are very different to the freshwater species having huge eyes andbeing active predators instead of being filter feeders like most of the freshwater species.Most species swim by making short jumps using their second pair of antennae.Their carapace of cladocerans covers the throrax/abdomen but not the head, and is folded down the midline giving them a bivalved appearance.They are quite small with most between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.Their body is completely enclosed in the carapace but the head of cladocerans is not covered by their carapace. ![]() Their carapace is bivalved with a hinge that allows opening and closing of the two halves.have appendages along the entire thorax/abdomen whereas the appendages are found only on the anterior segments of cladocerans.There are almost 800 known species and the major groups have many differences between them. ![]() Most of these are small, fresh or brackish water animals that feed on plankton and detritus, with the exception of the water fleas (Cladocera), many of which are marine. Plus, if you are only using them for baby axolotls, decapsulating them (which makes them edible without hatching) doesn't have the advantage it does with fish fry, since axolotl babies won't eat them unless they are moving like living creatures.ĭon't get intimidated by BBS - they are very easy once you have an appropriate set-up.The Branchiopods are a sub-group ( class) of Crustaceans and contain the fairy shrimp (sea monkeys), clam shrimp, water fleas and tadpole shrimp. I usually decapsulate the BBS eggs, but you probably don't want to try that until you have more experience with them. Refrigerate whatever you have left to keep them viable longer. If you have too many BBS hatching for your axolotl babies (which is far better than too few), small tropical fish love them too.Ī small quantity of eggs goes a long way. Note that you will probably want to keep two alternating batches of BBS going, since your babies would get pretty hungry during the 24-36 hrs it takes for a new batch to get going. Regardless, that will allow you to check out your BBS hatching set-up before you need them for the baby axolotls. They say, like, 24-36 hrs to hatch, but that is temperature dependent. Since you haven't raise baby brine shrimp (BBS) before, start practicing (with a small amount of eggs) before you need them. ![]()
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