Shrimp Species Behavior; Symbiotic Relationships in Contrast to Solitary Species Aaron and Claire Marine Bio p.6 The experiment: creating an ecosystem, creating the layout of the tank, seeing who to order, who can live with whom, what organisms do we HAVE to have, and how everything will mesh together.
Introduction
There are many different experiments that will flow into one in the invertebrate tank. An invertebrate tank has many different organisms living together in one ecosystem, which catches peoples attention. The first experiment will be to observe the behaviors of three different species of shrimp living together, in the same tank. For these observations we will answer different questions on our data sheet, for example, are they fighting?, are some getting more food than others?, are they battling for territory?, etc. The three different species of shrimp that will be observed are, snapping shrimp (Alpheus sp.), sexy anemone shrimp (Thor amboinensis), and peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wudemanni). The second experiment will be to test and observe the mutual relationships of pistol shrimp (Alpheus spp.) and the Yellow Prawn Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) and the relationship between sexy shrimp (Thor amboinensis) and corals and anemones in the tank. The final study will be to tie in all of the species and organisms into one ecosystem where they will be living and thriving together, while intriguing and grabbing people's attention. Three different types of shrimp will be living in the tank, along with many other invertebrates and colorful organisms. In this part of the experiment observations will be made on how the shrimp are reacting to one another, to their new environment, are they fighting, are they being territorial and so on. We want to record the behavior, the actions and reactions, the body language, and the territories of these three species of shrimp. All three of the shrimp in our tank are omnivores, meaning they will eat other organisms but also algae and other plant species (A-Z animals). We will have to acclimate the shrimp to our tank, because our tanks, pH levels, salinity, and pressure is going to be different than where they came from. It is very important to acclimate shrimp when they are in a new home, this is because they are very sensitive to water conditions. (2007, Alpha Pro Breeders). One of the interesting studies that will occur in the tank will be the observations of symbiotic relationships between the snapping shrimp and the yellow prawn goby, and the relationship between sexy shrimp and coral. Symbiotic relationships are interactions between different species, sometimes they are beneficial and are sometimes harmful, but some are mutual. These relationships are essential to ecosystems and organisms because they provide a balance, only achievable by working together (Friedl, 2003). A goby and pistol/snapping shrimp have a symbiosis where both animals benefit. It is mutual because the goby burrows a home while the shrimp can be the eyes and protection of the goby. (Duerbaum, 2013). Sexy Shrimp live in the protection of corals and anemones, allowing it to live in a tank where it could otherwise be easily attacked (Blue Zoo, 2014). Observations will be made on whether or not the shrimp and goby get along, if they hold up their end of the bargain, and also if other species of shrimp attack or try to burrow with the goby. This will all be recorded on the data spreadsheet found in a binder next to the tank; this will allow for the information to be easily recorded, but also for other visitors and mentors to access the observations. The final study for the invert tank is to tie in all of the species and organisms into one ecosystem where they will be living and thriving together, while intriguing and grabbing people's attention. The invert tank is meant to be a hands on display. The goal is for people of all ages, mostly students and teachers that walk in the room, to want to interact with the different animals in our tank. This will also make them curious about marine biology and how these animals really function. The variety and exotic colors of the different organisms, anemones, and corals should catch people’s attention and make them want to hold our organisms without being harmed.
Questions
Can multiple types of shrimp live together, will they fight, or will they become territorial?
Pistol shrimp and gobies have mutualistic relationships, will the other species of shrimp attack these gobies? Will the shrimp take the gobies? What will the gobies do?
Will we need to add more hiding places for the shrimp?
If the shrimp become aggressive, how can we prevent it and how can we find a solution that will help them to coexist?
how is a mutualistic relationship between two organisms of different species, in this case shrimp and goby, “working together” to benefit from the relationship (McGinley, 2014)?
Hypothesis
The behavior of shrimp in symbiosis and the behavior of shrimp that are solitary will be observed in this experiment. Shrimp with symbioses will behave differently than the shrimp that are solitary.
The symbiotic relationships created by our selection of animals will be mutualistic and beneficial to both parties involved in each relationship. For example, the goby uses the pistol shrimp burrow for protection from predators, the goby acts as "eyes" for the pistol shrimp (Smith, 2014).
Design of Research
Purchace pistol shrimp (Alpheus spp.) and glass shrimp (Periclimenes rathbunae) off of __www.liveaquarium.com__
Establish a baseline for all behaviors
Stabilize the shrimp- Acclimate the shrimp in a separate tank to prepare them to get used to the salinity and the environment that our tanks produce. It is very important to acclimate shrimp when they are in a new home, this is because they are very sensitive to water conditions. (2007, Alpha Pro Breeders).
Once acclimated, put them into the tank carefully and see how the different species react to each other. For example the goby uses the pistol shrimp burrow for protection from predators, the goby acts as "eyes" for the pistol shrimp (Smith, 2014).
Feed them right away. Then let them scavenge throughout the tank and adapt to the other corals, live rock, and anemones.
Shrimp behavior will be observed: Do they hide, and if so, where? Do they swim? Do they pair up? Do they stay solitary? Do they form their mutual relationships? Do they stay in similar areas? Do they fight over food? How do they behave during the night vs. day? How do they react to different lighting? What are their eating habits going to be? Daily draw diagrams of the tank to measure migration, hiding places, etc.
Make sure the water levels stay constant for a healthy tank. We will keep charts for these levels on a daily basis
Additional to the shrimp behavior, see how they affect the water and nutrient levels in the tank
for the data sheet see attached page for layout
Schedule
We will be tracking Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus sp.) (a.k.a. pistol shrimp), Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis), and peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni). When we get the new shrimp in, we will want to pay more attention to them until they adapt to the tank and get used to the daily schedule. We will observe their actions and reactions to other species and the environment, check again at break, then feed after school. During feeding we will observe closely how much food each shrimp gets, if they are fighting over food, and if they stay in certain areas when feeding. We will observe this daily for the first week we have the tank setup, then create a more organized schedule of times when the shrimp and other organisms should be studied. for the data sheet see attached page for layout
Supplies and Equipment
acclimation tank, sump, protein skimmers, sock filters, live rock, live sand, sponges, activated carbon, heater, lifeguard, etc. mysis shrimp, seaweed, tongs, hydrometer, refractometer, PH kits, alkalinity kits, 1 Yellow Prawn Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus), 1 Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus sp.), sea anemones, 2 Pincushion Urchin (Lytechinus variegatus), Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) in the tank.
Aaron and Claire
Marine Bio p.6
The experiment: creating an ecosystem, creating the layout of the tank, seeing who to order, who can live with whom, what organisms do we HAVE to have, and how everything will mesh together.
There are many different experiments that will flow into one in the invertebrate tank. An invertebrate tank has many different organisms living together in one ecosystem, which catches peoples attention. The first experiment will be to observe the behaviors of three different species of shrimp living together, in the same tank. For these observations we will answer different questions on our data sheet, for example, are they fighting?, are some getting more food than others?, are they battling for territory?, etc. The three different species of shrimp that will be observed are, snapping shrimp (Alpheus sp.), sexy anemone shrimp (Thor amboinensis), and peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wudemanni). The second experiment will be to test and observe the mutual relationships of pistol shrimp (Alpheus spp.) and the Yellow Prawn Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) and the relationship between sexy shrimp (Thor amboinensis) and corals and anemones in the tank. The final study will be to tie in all of the species and organisms into one ecosystem where they will be living and thriving together, while intriguing and grabbing people's attention.
Three different types of shrimp will be living in the tank, along with many other invertebrates and colorful organisms. In this part of the experiment observations will be made on how the shrimp are reacting to one another, to their new environment, are they fighting, are they being territorial and so on. We want to record the behavior, the actions and reactions, the body language, and the territories of these three species of shrimp. All three of the shrimp in our tank are omnivores, meaning they will eat other organisms but also algae and other plant species (A-Z animals). We will have to acclimate the shrimp to our tank, because our tanks, pH levels, salinity, and pressure is going to be different than where they came from. It is very important to acclimate shrimp when they are in a new home, this is because they are very sensitive to water conditions. (2007, Alpha Pro Breeders).
One of the interesting studies that will occur in the tank will be the observations of symbiotic relationships between the snapping shrimp and the yellow prawn goby, and the relationship between sexy shrimp and coral. Symbiotic relationships are interactions between different species, sometimes they are beneficial and are sometimes harmful, but some are mutual. These relationships are essential to ecosystems and organisms because they provide a balance, only achievable by working together (Friedl, 2003). A goby and pistol/snapping shrimp have a symbiosis where both animals benefit. It is mutual because the goby burrows a home while the shrimp can be the eyes and protection of the goby. (Duerbaum, 2013). Sexy Shrimp live in the protection of corals and anemones, allowing it to live in a tank where it could otherwise be easily attacked (Blue Zoo, 2014). Observations will be made on whether or not the shrimp and goby get along, if they hold up their end of the bargain, and also if other species of shrimp attack or try to burrow with the goby. This will all be recorded on the data spreadsheet found in a binder next to the tank; this will allow for the information to be easily recorded, but also for other visitors and mentors to access the observations.
The final study for the invert tank is to tie in all of the species and organisms into one ecosystem where they will be living and thriving together, while intriguing and grabbing people's attention. The invert tank is meant to be a hands on display. The goal is for people of all ages, mostly students and teachers that walk in the room, to want to interact with the different animals in our tank. This will also make them curious about marine biology and how these animals really function. The variety and exotic colors of the different organisms, anemones, and corals should catch people’s attention and make them want to hold our organisms without being harmed.
- Purchace pistol shrimp (Alpheus spp.) and glass shrimp (Periclimenes rathbunae) off of __www.liveaquarium.com__
- Establish a baseline for all behaviors
- Stabilize the shrimp- Acclimate the shrimp in a separate tank to prepare them to get used to the salinity and the environment that our tanks produce. It is very important to acclimate shrimp when they are in a new home, this is because they are very sensitive to water conditions. (2007, Alpha Pro Breeders).
- Once acclimated, put them into the tank carefully and see how the different species react to each other. For example the goby uses the pistol shrimp burrow for protection from predators, the goby acts as "eyes" for the pistol shrimp (Smith, 2014).
- Feed them right away. Then let them scavenge throughout the tank and adapt to the other corals, live rock, and anemones.
- Shrimp behavior will be observed: Do they hide, and if so, where? Do they swim? Do they pair up? Do they stay solitary? Do they form their mutual relationships? Do they stay in similar areas? Do they fight over food? How do they behave during the night vs. day? How do they react to different lighting? What are their eating habits going to be? Daily draw diagrams of the tank to measure migration, hiding places, etc.
- Make sure the water levels stay constant for a healthy tank. We will keep charts for these levels on a daily basis
- Additional to the shrimp behavior, see how they affect the water and nutrient levels in the tank
for the data sheet see attached page for layoutWe will be tracking Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus sp.) (a.k.a. pistol shrimp), Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis), and peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni). When we get the new shrimp in, we will want to pay more attention to them until they adapt to the tank and get used to the daily schedule. We will observe their actions and reactions to other species and the environment, check again at break, then feed after school. During feeding we will observe closely how much food each shrimp gets, if they are fighting over food, and if they stay in certain areas when feeding. We will observe this daily for the first week we have the tank setup, then create a more organized schedule of times when the shrimp and other organisms should be studied.
for the data sheet see attached page for layout
acclimation tank, sump, protein skimmers, sock filters, live rock, live sand, sponges, activated carbon, heater, lifeguard, etc. mysis shrimp, seaweed, tongs, hydrometer, refractometer, PH kits, alkalinity kits, 1 Yellow Prawn Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus), 1 Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus sp.), sea anemones, 2 Pincushion Urchin (Lytechinus variegatus), Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) in the tank.
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McGinley, Mark. "Mutualism." The Encyclopedia of Earth. Ed. Patricia Gowaty.
N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print. __http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/154736/__
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