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Re: Scud Life Cycle

 
From: mrjim
Posted: January 02, 2005 10:57 PM on www.FlyTyingForum.com

Several times a year I fish the Taneycomo river in Missouri (Branson) for trout and one of their main food sources is scuds (not many hatches there other than midges). Quite a few people have them in their aquariums to watch....... Does anyone know when they lay eggs and when they shed their shells - is it tied to moon phases, length of days, water temp or ??? Also - when their shell if first shed, the new shell is very light but is the color that their shells take on tied to the color of the bottom (colors used may be light grey /dark grey /charcoal /olive /brown)?

mrjim-

Unlike insects, scuds spawn repeatedly, up to six times per year. A single pair is said to be capable of producing 20,000 young in a single year. The timing of invertebrate molting is triggered by growth. When the external skeleton is no longer capable of containing the body, a new exoskeleton is formed.

With regard to color, a scud's exoskeleton is semi-transparent, so they take on the color of their gut content. In other words, their color is dependent on what they are eating. Hope this answers your questions.



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Created: 01/19/2006   Last modified: 08/25/2006    www.FlyfishingEntomology.com