Question: Air bubbles in Eurycea larvae?

Hello all,

I had a quick question regarding an oddity that I observed during field work the other day. I collected a few Eurycea cirrigera (southern two-lined) larvae from one of my field sites and was in the process of transporting them back to the lab when I noticed that one was floating, belly-up, at the surface of the water. There were 3 elongated air bubbles in its gut. by the time I got to the lab, another larvae was floating straight up and down (head at the surface) with an elongated bubble in its gut. I checked the third larvae, which was swimming normally, and it had a small bubble in its gut. So I watched them for about 20 minutes (no change) and then set them up in an environmental chamber and left them alone over night. By 1 PM the next day, the bubbles were gone and everyone was swimming normally.

I've searched the forum archives and I know that bubbles will show up in Ambystomatid larvae or axolotls, sometimes due gulping air during feeding or bacterial issues, but I couldn't find any reference to the same thing in Eurycea larvae. A collegue suggested that the stress or jostling during transport could have resulted in their gulping air. Seeing as how it came on and left rapidly, I doubt it's a bacterial issue. I was wondering if anyone has had similar experiences with Eurycea or other plethodontid larvae?

This issue has happened with my Notophthalmus Virirdescens larvae. I'm sure it can happen to any species. The fact that you only found info about ambystomatids is probably because they seem to be one of the most commonly kept on the site I believe.

Have you ever seen larvae go after (stalk and attempt to eat) small air bubbles?

I know that lunged species (including tadpoles) will commonly breach the surface and gulp air, but although I've seen Eurycea larvae swim to the surface, I've never seen them gulp.

I have never seen larvae do it, but my adult Notos snap at air bubbles occasionally from the air stone I used to keep surface film from building up. Swimming to the surface might be because the water isn't very well oxygenated. Do you have live plants in there? That would help if lack of oxygenation is the problem.

EasternNewtLove said:

That would help if lack of oxygenation is the problem.

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I think that the bubbles all formed before there could have been issues with hypoxia (low O2). Surface breathing is common under hypoxic conditions for lunged larvae of both frogs and salamanders, but these are Eurycea, which don't have lungs as larvae or adults. Buccopharyngeal respiration occurs in adult amphibians, and I don't see why respiration couldn't occur over the surface area of the oral cavity; but, without a doubt, small, lungless larvae like these rely extensively on cutaneous respiration. Especially since these are stream dwellers and tend to have shorter gill rami and filaments.

my lil larvae got a bubble earlier and it keeps making him float on his back how do u get rid of them cause i dont think i can burp him

In my experience, the bubbles will go away within a day.