Swollen larvae

Has anybody encountered anything like this before with their larvae? These two Paramesotriton hongkongensis larvae have been isolated from the 40 or so others since about a week ago after I noticed their swelling.




It's not a bloat-like condition in which the stomachs themselves are swollen. Rather, the skin around the body balloons out and is semi-transparent.

Reminds me of the problem I had several months back with this C.p -- which started as a small lump, then expanded in size and broke, several days after which the poor newt died.





I haven't noticed any spread among the other P.h larvae, and the two problem larvae remain alive as of now. The healthy-looking P.h are now morphing at a rate of 1-2 a day.

I was sure they were goners...but both have seemingly recovered...




I didn't do anything to treat them other than isolate them from the rest and provide slightly above average aeration.

What was the pH in their original tank? Had it dipped below neutral? A similar deformity is known for Ranid larvae reared in pH less than 5.0 for extended periods of time. Not every larvae in the tank does it either, just some. Could be genetic in some way. An osmoregulatory problem triggered by acidic water. (????speculation alert!)

In any case, I've seen this in R. clamitans and R. pipiens before, though never in anything post metamorph.

Hi Greg. TKS for those guesses. I haven't been monitoring pH in their original tank but change a portion of the water every week or so and the water is filtered...so quality shouldn't be too bad. I'll double-check though as who knows, it might've dipped. And only 2 larvae were affected. Doesn't look like a deformity though, just a temp condition...? They're looking pretty normal now