- Location:
- Saddle: Located on the back of the female shrimp, just behind the head and before the tail.
- Unfertilized eggs: Carried under the tail/abdomen of the female shrimp.
- Appearance:
- Saddle: Appears as a yellow or greenish patch on the shrimp's back, resembling a saddle shape.
- Unfertilized eggs: Clustered under the abdomen, often described as looking like berries.
- Stage of development:
- Saddle: Contains undeveloped eggs in the ovaries, not yet ready for fertilization.
- Unfertilized eggs: Eggs that have been released from the ovaries but not yet fertilized by a male.
- Movement:
- Saddle: Remains stationary on the shrimp's back.
- Unfertilized eggs: The female may move them around with her swimmerets.
- Timing:
- Saddle: Visible when the female is preparing to breed, before mating occurs.
- Unfertilized eggs: Present after the female has released eggs from her ovaries but before mating.
- Next stage:
- Saddle: Eggs will move from the saddle to under the tail when ready for fertilization.
- Unfertilized eggs: Will either be fertilized by a male or dropped if left unfertilized.