Can cherry shrimp naturally mutate into crystal red shrimp?

[mduros]

Subject says it all. I have had an active colony of cherry shrimp for over two years. The only other shrimp I have added to my tanks were three pinochio shrimp. And no new shrimp into the grow out tank at all. That's my breeding ground for the cherries, and occasional praecox fry or other fry I manage to salvage. I have noticed one shrimp recently that had a white stripe. Originally I had thought that it was a young female about to molt but I got a good look at it tonight. I know that crystal reds are a bumblebee variant, but can cherries have a similar mutated coloring occasionally? Here's the gal.
Take care,
Mary.

[Neonshrimp]

Wow, that is one neat looking shrimp or a weird trick you did with the camera Actually there can be genetic color varients in any type of shrimp. It is rare and that is why most of us will not see them personally. Whatever varient/genetica mutation that shrimp of yours has it is still a Red Cherry shrimp. A species can not be categorized as another species just because it looks simular. Having said that I still think it looks wicked

[zapisto]

wow weird
but even if it look (not really but....) a crs , this is and will stay a cherry

what else you have in your tank

[mduros]

Thanks guys. I misworded my subject line. I know it will always be a cherry but was actually asking if they could have color mutations and look like crystal reds. Well, this is just too neat to let go. I think I see in her future a 5 gallon set up for her and some guy friends and see if I see the mutation pop up more, or if it's like a 1 in 20 billion type of thing...

Currently all I have in the tank is 3 praecox rainbowfish fry, a couple of asolene spixis, a bunch of mts, live blackworms that hitchhiked their way in from the main tanks on duckweed or java moss, and the cherry shrimp colony.
Take care,
Mary.

[Neonshrimp]

Thanks Mary and please keep use updated on the breeding project.

[mduros]

I just read this fascinating article by mustafa. http://www.petshrimp.com/articles/redch ... pmyth.html This was my initial wonder when I got a good look at this gal. Could there have been hybrid genes in one of my initial six shrimp that I got two years ago that has taken this long to noticeably surface? Well, whatever. I find genetics fascinating and will come to see whether I get more of these by singling her out... I think she's a pretty neat gal, though I do love her bright red relatives, as well.
Take care,
Mary.

[Baby_Girl]

Could there have been hybrid genes in one of my initial six shrimp that I got two years ago that has taken this long to noticeably surface?

From what I understand, and pictures I've seen, the hybrid or wild-type genes are all-or-nothing. Either the entire shrimp is clear with some brown dots (wild-type look), or it is completely red/yellow (pet N. heteropoda variety). I could be wrong, but I really doubt the wild or hybrid gene can express itself in only one section of the body like that.

Hmm, or maybe it can. I know there's that skin pigment disease Vitiligo (which Michael Jackson has) in humans where the skin has patches which are light and patches of normal melanin, depending on which gene is activated where. Don't know if shrimp work that way, where different genes can be turned on simultaneously on different parts of the same individual. Maybe no one knows? ...yet

Also, the laws of probability and basic recombinations/mixing say those 'hidden' genes should have surfaced a long time ago. I guess there's always a chance the wild coloration has remained latent in its carriers for two years, but that chance is much much smaller than the probability that it would have revealed itself within a handful of generations. Mustafa and many others who have attempted selective breeding have shown the genes for coloration don't adhere to simple dominance/recessiveness. Even if they did, though, and the clear color were a recessive trait, all your RCS are descendants from a small founder population (however many you started with back then) so a good number of them should have the same genes. This again means that clear shrimp would have popped up a long time ago when two parents passed on a matching set of the recessive gene to their offspring.

As you said, Mary, (shrimp) genetics are fascinating. There's still so much to learn and maybe your experiences will fill in more pieces of the puzzle.

As Neon said, it's a very cool-looking shrimp. The only way to know for sure if you have a new mutation is to breed her repeatedly in isolation so you can more easily monitor her offspring - which you already plan on doing. Maybe she underwent some kind of cellular trauma while that part of her carapace was developing such that no pigment occurs in that spot, in which case that appearance not be passed on to her kids, but you'll never know until you try

[janbee]

Along this line, do shrimp of different species cross breed if in the same tank?

[sstimac]

Along this line, do shrimp of different species cross breed if in the same tank?

Read the species descriptions on this site.

[Newjohn]

Hi mduros

Have you thought of selective breeding for the trait ?

It would be interesting to see a Clear Shrimp with Yellow Eggs.

How is the coloration on your other RCS ?

John

[mduros]

Perfect color on the rest of the shrimp. Note female in my avatar. My population seems to be pretty healthy and happy and keep to pure reds.
Take care,
Mary.

[Neonshrimp]

Best wishes with the selective breeding project Please let us know when the first batch of offspring arrive it will be exciting to see if the gene is passed on to them.

[Newjohn]

Hi Mary

I did not start seeing the "Clear Mutant" shrimp until I started to selectivly breed for " Super Red ".

The clear on my Shrimp are not as distinct as the Shimp you have pictured, it is more of patches.

If the Snowball is clear with White Eggs
What would a Clear Shrimp with Yellow Eggs be called ?

John

[Neonshrimp]

If the Snowball is clear with White Eggs
What would a Clear Shrimp with Yellow Eggs be called ?

John

How about "Raw Egg shrimp", "Sunny Side Up shrimp" but my top pick would be "Clear Skies shrimp"

[sstimac]

How about "pot of gold shrimp."