[Cuttlefish Eggs]: Trying yet again at Daisy Hill

[Thales]

With the dismal failure to produce fertile eggs with my recent batch of bandensis, I have just received two clusters of about 10 eggs each of wild caught eggs to give it another go. My hope is to post some pics and some info on progress at least once a week.

The eggs arrived this morning and are acclimating now. Several hatchlings were sans egg, and swimming around. I have collected some amphipods to give to them, and 500 mysids will be arriving in the morning.

Here are a couple of acclimating shots:

 

[monty]

 

[Animal Mother]

 

[Thales]

One cluster had 3 hatchlings and 5 full eggs, while the other had 5 hatchlings and 6 full eggs.

 

[cuttlegirl]

Ah... the late night feedings, burpings and diaper changes, how well I remember... oh wait, that's me... you only have late night feedings and water changes.

 

[Thales]

Ok, so maybe every two weeks! Damn, I hate ordering mysids!

There are 22 babies:

 

[cuttlegirl]

Ohhhh, your babies are so cute!

 

[Thales]

Not as cute as yours!

 

[Animal Mother]

Wow.

 

[Nancy]

Nice pics!
What's the size of the little ones when they've just hatched?

Nancy

 

[Paradox]

They are around 1/4 inch.

 

[cuttlegirl]

They are around 1/4 inch.

About the size of a small pea...

 

[shipposhack]

My mom says they look like orange seeds.

 

[Thales]

1/4 inch or so when hatched. About 1/2 inch now (below). Did I mention I love flashes and a macro lens?

 

[DWhatley]

Everytime I swear I am not spending more money on a camera, you take shots like this and I blow an interesting event! I took an hour of flash photos and my autofocus wouldn't. My Mercs mated for a second time (not likely to have a second hatching but interesting all the same)and I would dearly love to have had at least one decent photo of the event