Rock Flower Nem spawning question

[saltyhog]

One of my RFA's was spawning tonight and two of the other RFA's near it had their mouths gaping open. Does that mean they are females trying to ingest the males spawn?

Sorry for the photobombing CBB.

 

[Kyl]

I believe the females are usually a lot smaller than the males, that would make sense. You'll know in about two months if they were

 

[Scooter.B]

Beautiful RFAs!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Man! I want some spawning flower nems!

 

[Kyl]

I'm actually picking up some baby RFA's from our local "Mr. Rockflower" on Saturday. I'll ask him how the process goes as all his babies are 100% tank spawned, and fill this post up a bit.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I'm actually picking up some baby RFA's from our local "Mr. Rockflower" on Saturday. I'll ask him how the process goes as all his babies are 100% tank spawned, and fill this post up a bit.

Thanks! That sounds like info I'll be excited to follow!

 

[saltyhog]

I believe the females are usually a lot smaller than the males, that would make sense. You'll know in about two months if they were

That's interesting. I didn't know the females were smaller. That might explain something. The orange one on the far right and the small yellow one on the left were the same size when I got them but the orange one has grown much faster despite me pampering the yellow one with more food.

Right after lights out the orange one to the right started spawning too so he's a male. Another RFA on the other end of the 6' tank also looked like he was going to spawn....they become cup like and greatly extend their stalk....looking much like....well, a flower.

 

[Kyl]

The rockflower guy I'm picking up from says this in terms of spawning:

Unfortunately this (size) is all we have to go by with rock nems (physically seeing it happen) one thing I can say is all my confirmed females are much smaller then the males.

 

[Kyl]

Here's what best I can remember from my talk this afternoon:

• They spawn four times a year, but not during December
• Very high mortality rate, almost 100% for the first 3-4 spawns of babies
• Babies develop in the female RFA and it will look bulged / puffy around the mouth
• 8 weeks after spawning the babies are ejected from the female's mouth
• Premature babies that usually don't live can be ejected earlier, guessing because the female can tell they're not right
• He catches the babies as they're ejected, and puts them in a small almost zero flow tray clipped to the side of his tank with some rock rubble
• Babies are usually 3-4mm
• They can start eating pieces of brine shrimp almost immediately, feeds them spirulina enriched brine then mysis as they grow
• Using flatworm exit seems to stunt the reproduction cycle and they skipped spawning for 6 months.
• Females are 1/2 to 3/4 the size of the males
• Colour morphs appear to be 100% random, he is getting some ultra-isque morphs out of plain RFA's

Picked up six of them, largest is about 10mm .

 

[saltyhog]

Awesome info @Kyl !

 

[shred5]

http://www.practicalcoralfarming.com/blog/2015/5/24/flower-anemones-breeding-the-unfraggable

http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/magazine-tiled-q2-2015-26.html

 

[Kyl]

http://www.practicalcoralfarming.com/blog/2015/5/24/flower-anemones-breeding-the-unfraggable

http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/magazine-tiled-q2-2015-26.html

Thanks for that link! Seems he got a few things backwards, or I recalled them incorrectly. Thought the RFA males were always the larger ones.

 

[reef lover]

Thanks for the link! Great article!