Aging my G. ternatensis?

jackcephas · Oct 3, 2022

I have had a G. ternatensis for about 3/4 of a year now, I am fairly certain that is his species and that he is a male. He molted 7 weeks ago and has not since, it seems like he molts at most every two months but it is hard for me to tell because he does not cave himself in much that I am aware of. Anyone know what age he might be? I heard that the longer in between molts the older they are, so I assume he is at least a few years old now? Thanks.

Stomatopods17 · Oct 5, 2022

Age is pretty difficult if not impossible to figure out, we don't even know the maturity rate from floating larvae.

Molts are typically every 3 or more months, rumor is lunar cycle based, but the younger the shrimp the more frequently the molts happen.

G. Tern is easy to sex, they're one of the few color dimorphic ones based on their sex, blue legs+antennal scales+tail = male, yellow = female. IDing is basically 'gonodactylid lookin mantis with dark green carapace, red lines segmented inbetween their body, and orange meral spots differing it from G. Smithii.

Male:

Female:

If any doubt there's also the good ol' \ / shaped reproductive organs all species have between last pair of legs and first set of pleopods (swimmers), signaling they're male, they're basically two of our... well, they compensate for size ig.