Just taking some random snaps of the cuttles, when two decide to get it on. Apologies for bad shots, but they got stage fright :lol:

First the posture saying "This lady is mine, stay away!" A flattened outstretched body to look as big and menacing as possible. He swims on his side to show his size and colours. You can just see the other male in the very left of the picture.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCF0699%20(Medium).JPG


Then the embrace between male and female:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCF0711%20(Medium).JPG


Better one:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCF0715%20(Medium).JPG

Still waiting for eggs, but they will be some time yet.

What great pics!

Those are great shots there Mikey, can't remember but were they both from the same batch of eggs? Thanks for sharing

Those are beautiful creatures! Truly great photographs, too.

Thanks all, and Joel, yeah same bunch of eggs. As I said before, at worst same genes, at best unrelated. When/if these lot do produce eggs, if things go well some more bloodstock will be introduced.

Hey there...I was wondering how many bandenesis you keep in the same tank and how large of a tank you are using. Have they shown any aggression towards each other?

I get agression in the form of displaying lots and lots, and only very occasionaly physical agression.

I'm keeping a group of 11 in a 90 gallon set up.

Breeding behaviour is very frequent now - almost everytime I watch the tank - just hope for eggs soon, fingers crossed.

I'm keeping a group of 11 in a 90 gallon set up.


That's a big population!

Erich, admitidly there was meant to be no more than 6, but when you're rearing over 40 of these guys accidents happen and escapees lived to tell the truth.

But, this number has given me a good ratio of male:female animals, which was what i was looking for.

I can assure you that the welfare of the animals are my top priority however, and as with any breeding project using a group of animals kept with no intervention, agression does come out sometimes.

Whilst at the top end of what I can safely and reasonabley keep in the set up, I do honestly beleive these guys are receiving no less enrichment, food (or sex now for that matter :wink: ), than would they in a less densely stocked tank.

Edit - I suppose the fact they're are breeding is testiment to their satisfaction :lol:

Hey Mike

How is your Crangon supply, last time i went out there were no shrimps bigger than about 10mm!!!!! Must have all bred and the adults moved off/died! Going through them like nothing else

Sorry guys - been away on hols!!

Crangon is coming up fine here still colin, in fact, before I left we were catching adults hitting nearly 6 - 7 cm.

After just one week away the group look like they have grown a lot! Dad must have been feeding them seconds!!

Hope you had a nice holiday!

Well, I have cracked the dead food issue. The tiny crangon and uncooperative tide times seen to that LOL I have been using shrimp from the freezer that I had been collecting from each trip and freezing as soon as i got home in case of emergencies.

They will even take lumps that dont look like shrimps now, just using the old feeding stick method.

Nice, and interesting Colin! I must try harder lol