Imitator eggs developing !

[John]

My Tarapoto imitators have started laying eggs regularly over the last month or so. These are the proud parents just after feeding the tadpole in the bromeliad pool behind them. Mother is on the left, father on the right. The red arrow points to where I found a clutch of 4 eggs!



And here are the 4 eggs. They are really fresh - probably less than 6 hours fertilized. They are at the Morula stage.



(More photos to follow)

[John]

This is the eggs on day 2. They are now in late Blastula stage.

[John]

Another day, another development stage. Day 3, they are in Gastrula stage:

[John]

Day 4, still Gastrula I think. That's mom in the background.

[John]

Day 5, I think they're starting to become Neurulas.

[John]

Day 6, definitely neurula stage now.

[John]

Day 7, late neurula/early tailbud development stage?

[John]

Day 8, definitely showing tadpole shape.

[John]

Day 9, now you can see the gills, which disappear around hatching time.



Day 10, gills pretty clear now:



The eyes are starting to become visible on Day 11:



Day 12, the eyes much more defined and the gills are very clear:



Day 13, and only a couple of days from hatching I think:



Day 14 and the gills have receded:



Day 15, hatching day. As you can see, father has already started to pick them up and drop them off in their own individual bromeliad pools:

[John]

Here's one of them in a pool. That orange thing is a fish food pellet I dropped in there.

[Julia]

Wow, these pictures are incredible!

[1beataway]

Truly amazing. I wish I was in your shoes.

[John]

Thanks Julia!

[Kurt]

Really cool. How many are there?

[John]

Don't know. I'm raising 5 myself.

[Kurt]

Five, huh? I have no idea how many red-eye tads I have at the moment. Its got to be more than 50.

[Julia]

Five, huh? I have no idea how many red-eye tads I have at the moment. Its got to be more than 50.

Well Kurt, if you are looking to get rid of them....I would gladly take some of the little beauties off your hands!!!

[Kurt]

But you're in Canadia and I am in the US, there is this whole international border thing that prevent me sending them to you.

[Tropicok]

Thank you a million times for posting the step-by-step process. There is something divine about watching this creation.

[Wyomingite]

Great pics! I've been pretty busy the last month or so, catchin' up a bit. Thanks for the play by play narrative, hopefully it'll be helpful in the future.

WYite