Bent Mysid Shrimp (Mysis spp.)
Bent Mysid Shrimp (Mysis spp.)
Common name: bent mysid shrimp
Scientific name: Mysis spp.
Locations: shallow water, open ocean, where currents drop off
Seasonality: available all year
Color: transparent
Size: 1/4”
Collected: by dip net
Quantity: by the each
Tidepool Tim says, "Bent mysids are omnivorous filter feeders that eat organic detritus, phytoplankton, and their own species! They're easy to culture on a large scale in labs because they're highly adaptive and tolerant of mutant conditions in experiments. They also have a short reproductive cycle, so it's feasible to maintain a very large population. Bent mysids can be cultured in static and flow-through systems, although flow through will support a higher density of mysids.
Since the adult mysids will eat their young, keep the juveniles in a holding tank if you want to maintain them. Usually mysids will be fed brine shrimp to sustain them in culture.
Cultured mysids are also great for feeding other marine creatures being kept by humans! They're an ideal food source for cephalopods, fish larvae, and farmed shrimp."