It's been a week now, so I think it's safe to finally say that we successfully transported live chitons back to Alabama and they are established in our aquarium. These animals will be the ones we try to spawn later this year to study development! We know that in the wild, chitons tend to find a special rock and use it as a "home", returning to it after each night of feeding to spend the day sheltered in their spot. We thought that our chitons would perhaps each find a "home" rock in the tank, and remain relatively stationary. They don't. Not visible: the three other chitons *inside* the protein skimmer. But so far my morning headcounts (headvalve counts?) have stayed consistent, so here's hoping they don't stray too far. I have looked into screening the top if needed. |
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March 2021
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