Peppermint Shrimp Babies... But No Daddy?

Ok I am trying to grasp this. I just took a flashlight to my tank a few hours after lights out and their are baby shrimp EVERYWHERE. Only question is where did they come from? I have had one peppermint shrimp for like 4 months, no others. So where are all these baby shrimp coming from? I flipped the lights back on so all the fish could have a late night snack.

 

sure they're not pods?

 

100000 % sure

 

Pods

 

I promise everyone they are not pods. I am no idiot and have seen many different species of copepods, isopods, and amphipods. They are tiny tiny little shrimp looking larvae. They have a tail like a table shrimp or peppermint shrimp, 2 little eyes on either side of their head.

 

Magic.

 

Keep in mind that there's a myriad of sea critters, some of which are sand-dwelling detritivores, that have free-swimming, shrimp-like, planktonic larvae. Lot of possibilities, except for a single pep to lay fertile eggs.

 

I also believe it is possible for some species to carry eggs for a long time and wait until they feel the parameters are correct or it is a safe environment to release them. I have also heard stressors can bring about releasing them.

 

That doesn't explain how they were fertilized so they could hatch...

 

A few years back I had 4 Pep shrimp...one night I heard some splashing..didnt think much of it, then noticed movement, glanced over and the tank was cloudy and the fish were going NUTZ !! hmmmmm...I walked over and it was full of baby shrimp...This went on for months, about onece a week, you could obviously see the eggs under the females...they would come to the surface and thrash about with the tail and release all that free food..err, I mean beautiful baby shrimp creatures...but I had 4 in there...a lil' peperment love fest. LOL : )