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Above is a chart of the growth of the random samples of shrimp. Click on the image to make it larger.
The group in the blue tank, also known as the "experemental" group, shows a trend for much more rapid growth than the control. This is because under only ultraviolet light, Brine Shrimp grow faster (become longer in a shorter amount of time) than they do under full-spectrum light, which contains all wavelengths of light.
One reason for this may be the fact that some animals, including brine shrimp, are ptototactic, meaning they try to swim toward light. Swimming in one direction uses much of the animal's energy, therefore using some of what might be otherwise used for food digestion, allowing the animal to grow larger. This may also be why, when taken into the "ambient" lighting of the room, the shrimp in the blue tank swam in spirals inside their tank, while the shrimp in the red tank were noticably calmer.
Another reason the shrimp may have grown longer under the ultraviolet light deals with algae and small plants growing in the tank. Ultraviolet light does not contain green light, which is not productive to photosynthesis. With more of the productive wavelengths of light, the plant would be able to undergo photosynthesis easier, making another food source for the shrimp. (In addition to the food enclosed with the kit) This extra food source would lower competition for food, allowing the shrimp to be more likely to survive their first few days of life. This is also why the experemental shrimp had a more visible black stripe down their backs; the stripe is their digestive tract, and is darker when the shrimp has had more to eat.
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