Diadema antillarum: Martin Moe.... questions!

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jazzybio13
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Diadema antillarum: Martin Moe.... questions! - Wednesday, July 24, 2013 4:51 AM
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Ok... well I have (possibly, still pending pick up) gotten ahold of one longspine urchin (Diadema antillarum), and am still working on the second one... but I have a few questions to Martin Moe, or anyone who was there watching his presentation this past MBI workshop. 
 
1. From the reading I've done...these are dioecious creatures... how do I sex these guys? I would like to try my hand at them... I have seen  literature referencing the genital plate... is this an external feature to which I can reference too? Many images I have found seem to indicate this is internal?
 
2. Martin Moe said he used 5 different species of live algae (I think it was 5): does anybody recall which ones these are, that he is having such success?
 
3. At what size/age (mostly asking about size) do we know of these being sexual mature enough to actually procreate? I know they have a larval stage of 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I've looked into on these seem to end any quantitative amount of time from that 'larval' stage on to the post development of the plates (assumingly post plate development leaves them fully formed at this point?)... What is considered a breeding size diadema?
 
3. Also, I have read several accounts and Martin also spoke of inducing spawning behavior via increased temperature... by how much of a swing are we talking here? Most research I've come across says it's natural water temps hit highs around the low 80's... this 'induced' spawning, are you taking the urchin out of the tank and leaving it at high temps for a matter of minutes? hours? 
 
Thanks everyone! I appreciate your input!!! This should be an interesting experience!!! 

Martin Moe
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Re:Diadema antillarum: Martin Moe.... questions! - Saturday, August 24, 2013 4:03 PM
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to Jassybio13
Sorry for the late reply, sometimes the internet flumxes me. 
1. The only way that I have found is to spawn them and the males put out white gametes and the eggs of the female are yellowish, but even then to be sure it is best to check them out under a microscope. Then the males and females can be kept separately.
 
2, Rearing the larvae is difficult. I have used 5 species but now only 3, Rhodomonas lens, Isochrysis gabena, and Chaetosous gracillas. Rhodomonas is the critical one. (sorry about the spelling)
 
3. In my experience, the adults are from about 4 to 7 cm test diameter. The larval stage is typically from 38 to 50 days, there is a lot of variation in culture in the larval period probably due to variations in physical and nutritional factors during the larval period.
 
4. On spawning, I find that keeping the adults at 25 C as a constant temperature with ample food keeps them in spawning condition, the when a spawn is needed, a tray of warm water, about 30 C is prepared as is a holding tank at ambient temperature. The adults are placed in the tray, the males usually spawn almost immediately, the females follow either very soon or sometime as long as 30 minutes later. The males are kept in the spawning tray for a short time 5 to 10 minutes and then transferred to the holding tank where they continue to spawn. Females are also transferred but sometimes as long as 15 minutes later. Sometimes the females spawn in the holding tank as well. The eggs are very tiny, only 80 microns and they are sieved out with 20 or 35 micron nylon mesh.
 
It's not an easy task, I would recommend going with a different species at first to gain the experience needed to work with Diadema.
 
 

jazzybio13
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Re:Diadema antillarum: Martin Moe.... questions! - Wednesday, August 28, 2013 3:03 AM
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mmm. thanks for the heads up Martin, my source for the diadema I had backed out on me and I haven't been able to secure another one. I do have a couple of cushion urchins (Lytechinus variegatus) I could try first...  
 
would need to look further into  the Rhodomonas lens though... haven't done this at all. should be fun to dive into. 
 
Look forward to hearing you again this weekend, martin. Thanks for the tips here. 

JimWelsh
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Re:Diadema antillarum: Martin Moe.... questions! - Wednesday, August 28, 2013 12:25 PM
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R. lens is a fun phytoplankton species to grow.  Very pretty pink/red color!  It is a little fussier than other species, but still very doable.  You can get excellent starters from Algagen via SeahorseSource.

somi
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Re:Diadema antillarum: Martin Moe.... questions! - Saturday, September 20, 2014 8:52 AM
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nice forum would need to look further into  the Rhodomonas lens though... haven't done this at all.
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