I'm trying to stay hopeful, despite the fact that the Sea-Monkey population is now down to only two females. Since they do not really need the males to reproduce, I'm taking that as a positive sign. They're now a true colony of Amazons, having dispensed with their useless, weak males.
There are dozens of babies in the tank again. Obviously, I'm not holding my breath waiting for them to mature, but it's nice to know that the water isn't so tainted that babies can't hatch. That isn't to say I expect any babies to remain by the time I come back in on Monday, but I like to view the Ocean-Zoo as "half full," not "half empty."
I fed the tiny colony some "Red-Magic Sea-Monkey Vitamins" in the no doubt futile hope that it will nourish the babies through the weekend. They are actually pretty big; they look like magnified sperm cells doing the disco of life through the murky tank water. I could go further with this metaphor, but probably not without ranging into the territory of questionable taste.
The last two adults look as vigorous as ever, Ethel Mermaning through the tank with joy. Sea-Monkeys have absolutely no maternal instincts, so they treat the youngsters no differently than drifting flakes of bottom-algae. Fortunately, the babies don't seem to mind.
So, that's this week's story - short and sweet. Last week's response to the idea that the Sea-Monkey reports might come to an end leads me to the conclusion that, one way or another, the weekly reports will go on. I don't know if they'll always be about water-dwelling live bait, but they'll continue in one form or another.
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