Ambystoma maculatum ( Breeding and Larval Development)

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

These are all growing at different rates, with some being more advanced than others. You can just about see the balancers on this one.

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

The first larva has hatched

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

My first larvae, plus one thinking that reversing out may be a good idea

 

[jclee]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

They are gorgeous! Congratulations.

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Unfortunately I lost the few larvae that hatched

I was looking on another forum today and saw a UK gentleman has just had eggs laid from his group. I hadn't expected mine to do anything for a couple of months, as my last lot where laid early April after a rather cold spell. This winter has been rather wet and mild with only a few slight frosts here so I wasn't really expecting to see anything at all. Today has been rather mild and it had just started to rain again, but I thought it was worth trundling out to the shed to see if they were up to anything. I didn't find any eggs, but I did see plenty of activity from them. One was hopping in and out of the water and the floor of their tub has scattered groups of spermatophore I now have all fingers and toes crossed for eggs

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

After a rainy cold night, I found a small egg mass

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Day 8... and not much has changed. I have left the eggs in where they were laid this year. The water is maybe 8-10 degrees C.

 

[Azhael]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

How did i not see this? Congrats Julia! Fingers crossed they are fertilized and they develop well. And even if they don´t, congratulations are still in order for a repeated success in getting them to lay!

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Thank you Rodrigo If I look really really closely at them, there may be some development, but after last years shenanigans I am trying to be less of an egg watcher this time

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Day 12 and the eggs are changing shape.

 

[Azhael]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Yeeeeeeeesss!!
*happy developing embryo dance*

Take good care of those lovelies

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Day 16

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Day 19.
This evening I watched the larva gently turn within their eggs.... dinner was late :wacko:

 

[Ian T]

Sounds very therapeutic though...!

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

These are taking forever to grow Hopefully the temperatures rising towards the weekend, will encourage them to grow a little faster .
Anyway, photo's of day 26, the water temperature was 5 degrees.

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Day 35 and the day time water temps are on average 11 degrees now. If I look really carefully I can see eyes, balancers and gills. I would think the first ones will hatch in the next few days. The pictures are not so clear now as they egg mass is looking a tad grubby and I can not get the camera to focus through to the larva. I took a few of the ones underneath today as they looked clearer, but the pictures came out distorted . All the larva, barr one or two all look well developed. Only one in the middle turned white , much like last years and one is only now looking to be developing.

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Today I spotted the first hatched larva Hatched on day 36, water temp was 12 degrees.

 

[jAfFa CaKe]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

Congrats once again! Very nice looking larva

 

[Otterwoman]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

I missed this too! How many morphs did you end up with last year?

 

[Bellabelloo]

Re: Ambystoma maculatum

I didn't Dawn, they all died quite early on. This time I am leaving most of them in the main tub as there looks like there is plenty of small food ready for them.