# Saddled shrimp



## jacketherington (Oct 7, 2011)

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question. But is a saddled shrimp
A- a shrimp carrying eggs that need to be fertilized.
B- a shrimp carrying already fertilized eggs, which will drop once she molts. Making get berried.
Thanks


----------



## CookieM (Feb 7, 2012)

You answered your own question. Correct!

A - Saddle
B - Berried


----------



## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

how to distuingish? Would like to avoid situation that i put female with eggs into breeding box and not fertilized. Thanks


----------



## CookieM (Feb 7, 2012)

The size of the eggs, berried usually double in size and seem very full in the shrimp belly.


----------



## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

great, always seen just big eggs..thnks


----------



## Jorge_Burrito (Nov 10, 2010)

A shrimp is saddled when you see small dots right behind her head. It is called a saddle because it looks like a saddle on a horse. The eggs are unfertilized at this point and she is getting ready to breed and will do so next molt. When that molts happen the males will lock onto a female shrimp and deposit sperm in her undercarriage. Once the sperm is deposited, the female will transfer the eggs into her undercarriage and they are now fertile as they make contact with the sperm. The female will now be carrying the eggs underneath her belly and is now called berried (the eggs look like little berries). She will carry them there for about a month until the hatch. Look for the appearance of eyes on the eggs to let you know when you are getting close to hatching.

So eggs are not fertilized until she is carrying them in her underbelly. She will not transfer them to her underbelly if no sperm is present to fertilize so a berried shrimp is one withe fertile eggs. A saddled shrimp is not carrying fertile eggs.

This shrimp reproductivity lesson has been brought to you by Dr. Jorge_Burrito.


----------



## HiepSTA (Aug 23, 2011)

saddled shrimp, you can see the yellow saddle shaped area behind her head, this is the eggs developing or developed, waiting to be fertilized


----------



## HiepSTA (Aug 23, 2011)

this is berried, you see that the eggs are now in her undercarriage, at this point they are fetilized and will hatch in about a month










not trying to steal pics if they belong to anyone here, just used google to find good examples


----------



## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

great example and explanation guys...hard to see saddle for CRS probably...


----------



## HiepSTA (Aug 23, 2011)

for CRS, the way i spot a saddle is when they are about to molt, you can see that the shell starts to split behind the head and there is a clear spot on the body where the shell splits, during those few days before she molts, you can see a brown area where the shell splits


----------



## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Same for BKK, you can see the yellow or brown saddle when she's ready to molt


----------



## HiepSTA (Aug 23, 2011)

you see how the shell is splitting right behind her head, and theres a clear area? and you see how in the clear area the top bit is brown, thats a saddle


----------



## CookieM (Feb 7, 2012)

HiepSTA said:


> this is berried, you see that the eggs are now in her undercarriage, at this point they are fetilized and will hatch in about a month
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love that picture. I haven't seen such yellow egg on my shrimp for so long.


----------



## abc (May 18, 2004)

HiepSTA said:


> this is berried, you see that the eggs are now in her undercarriage, at this point they are fetilized and will hatch in about a month
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice photos! Perfect pics to show what saddled and berried means. Thanks!


----------



## abc (May 18, 2004)

HiepSTA said:


> you see how the shell is splitting right behind her head, and theres a clear area? and you see how in the clear area the top bit is brown, thats a saddle


I've been staring at this pic for a while and still can't see the saddle, and find the differentiation between male and female tough to see


----------

