Potential shrimp for the aquarium

[edinjapan]

I was just looking through a book on Japanese fish and invertebrates and have come up with a list of possible candidates for adding to an aquarium.

Here they are with some brief info after the name

Paratya compressa improvisa
(Nuka ebi) colour is similar to bran with a lighter stripe running down the back TL 3cm found throughout Honshu

Neocaridina denticulata
(Minami numa ebi) Found throughout Southern Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, these shrimp are closely related to the Cherry Red's. Colour is usually a light green with large males taking on a dominant colour pattern of dark blue black with a white dorsal stripe. Reproduction is of the suppressed method with larvae resmbling the adults upon release. TL 2-2.5cm

Neocaradina/Caradina serrirostrus
(Himenuma ebi) Tiger shrimp as per Mustafa's description I've found this shrimp listed under both names–unsure as to which is correct.

Neocaradina/Caradina serrirostrus celebensis
(Coterahimenuma ebi) A wine red version of the Tiger shrimp with the addition of a while line on the dorsal surface and white stripes instead of black TL 1.5cm

Ataya spinipes
(Oninuma ebi) alarge filter feeding species from the Ryuku Islands-Okinawa with several interesting colour morphs TL 6-7cm

Macrobrachium shokitai
(Shokitai teinagai ebi) This shrimp has blue black claws, a wine red body and white antennae. The exhibit suppressed reproduction with the larvae being exact replicas of the adults. TL 8cm

[edinjapan]

This list is by no means complete and if you have any species you would like to add please do so. If you can add additional info on the above shrimp, please do that as well.

[Mustafa]

Hi Ed!

Thanks for the list, but the book seems to have a couple of mistakes.

Neocaridina denticulata
(Minami numa ebi) Colour is usually a light green with large males taking on a dominant colour pattern of dark blue black with a white dorsal stripe. Reproduction is of the suppressed method with larvae resmbling the adults upon release. TL 2-2.5cm

--I highly doubt that the males show any coloration in this species. I have yet to see a Neocaridina species whose males are the really colorful. By the way, this shrimp can get up to ca. 3.5cm long.

Neocaradina/Caradina serrirostrus
(Himenuma ebi) Tiger shrimp as per Mustafa's description I've found this shrimp listed under both names–unsure as to which is correct.

--The real scientific name for this species is Caridina serratirostris. It's definitely *not* a Neocaridina. I don't have it listed as "Tiger Shrimp" by the way (and I don't think they call it Tiger Shrimp in Japan either). I have it listed as "Ninja Shrimp."

Neocaradina/Caradina serrirostrus celebensis
(Coterahimenuma ebi) A wine red version of the Tiger shrimp with the addition of a while line on the dorsal surface and white stripes instead of black TL 1.5cm

--Again...this is a Caridina species and it's "serratirostris" not "serrirostrus." And they do get larger than 1.5cm. I know exactly why this author keeps using Neocaridina/Caridina for all kinds of species. It's because he was misled by the German Website http://www.wirbellose.de which had the names listed like that for a long time (not because it was correct, but because it didn't get updated forever). This shrimp can also be up to 3.5 cm long.

Ataya spinipes
(Oninuma ebi) alarge filter feeding species from the Ryuku Islands-Okinawa with several interesting colour morphs TL 6-7cm

--I assume the author meant "Atya" not Ataya. Either way, this shrimp is actually called "Atyopsis spinipes" (Newport 1847) and has a wide distribution in Asia. Very nice shrimp. The japanese (and others) easily confuse Atya with Atyopsis and seem to use it almost interchangeably. Of course that is not correct.

Macrobrachium shokitai
(Shokitai teinagai ebi) This shrimp has blue black claws, a wine red body and white antennae. The exhibit suppressed reproduction with the larvae being exact replicas of the adults. TL 8cm

--This sounds like a very nice shrimp. However, according to this webpage it seems to be getting a lot larger than 8cm (look at the pic of the shrimp on someone's hand!):

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizu ... enaga.html

Also, this shrimp seems to be protected in Japan if I understand the following website correctly:

http://fujukan.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/ja/rd ... 08&lang=ja

Take care,
Mustafa

[edinjapan]

Hi Ed!

Thanks for the list, but the book seems to have a couple of mistakes.

The book I'm taking this information from is the Yamakei Pocket Guide vol#17. Everything is in Japanese and there are some mistakes in the translation of the katakana and hiragana (phonetic language ???).

Neocaridina denticulata
(Minami numa ebi) Colour is usually a light green with large males taking on a dominant colour pattern of dark blue black with a white dorsal stripe. Reproduction is of the suppressed method with larvae resmbling the adults upon release. TL 2-2.5cm

--I highly doubt that the males show any coloration in this species. I have yet to see a Neocaridina species whose males are the really colorful. By the way, this shrimp can get up to ca. 3.5cm long.

Not sure about. Mine don't look to be that large and you are more than welcome to come over and measure them yourself. I'll even let you take 100 or so home with you.

Neocaradina/Caradina serrirostrus
(Himenuma ebi) Tiger shrimp as per Mustafa's description I've found this shrimp listed under both names–unsure as to which is correct.

--The real scientific name for this species is Caridina serratirostris. It's definitely *not* a Neocaridina. I don't have it listed as "Tiger Shrimp" by the way (and I don't think they call it Tiger Shrimp in Japan either). I have it listed as "Ninja Shrimp."[/quote]

I've seen it listed as a "Zebra Shrimp"

Neocaradina/Caradina serrirostrus celebensis
(Coterahimenuma ebi) A wine red version of the Tiger shrimp with the addition of a while line on the dorsal surface and white stripes instead of black TL 1.5cm

--Again...this is a Caridina species and it's "serratirostris" not "serrirostrus." And they do get larger than 1.5cm. I know exactly why this author keeps using Neocaridina/Caridina for all kinds of species. It's because he was misled by the German Website http://www.wirbellose.de which had the names listed like that for a long time (not because it was correct, but because it didn't get updated forever). This shrimp can also be up to 3.5 cm long. [/quote]

I don't know if the author even knows about the website, the book was printed in 1976 and this is the 3rd printing. The website may have taken its information from the book...

Ataya spinipes
(Oninuma ebi) A large filter feeding species from the Ryuku Islands-Okinawa with several interesting colour morphs TL 6-7cm

--I assume the author meant "Atya" not Ataya. Either way, this shrimp is actually called "Atyopsis spinipes" (Newport 1847) and has a wide distribution in Asia. Very nice shrimp. The Japanese (and others) easily confuse Atya with Atyopsis and seem to use it almost interchangeably. Of course that is not correct.

Macrobrachium shokitai
(Shokitai teinagai ebi) This shrimp has blue black claws, a wine red body and white antennae. The exhibit suppressed reproduction with the larvae being exact replicas of the adults. TL 8cm

--This sounds like a very nice shrimp. However, according to this webpage it seems to be getting a lot larger than 8cm (look at the pic of the shrimp on someone's hand!):

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizu ... enaga.html

Also, this shrimp seems to be protected in Japan if I understand the following website correctly:

http://fujukan.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/ja/rd ... 08&lang=ja

Take care,
Mustafa

It is protected but, this country has a spotty record on how protected species are handled. There have been some advertised on MSN Japan auctions. I think they may be listed on CITES schedule 2 same as the Asian Arrowana–Schlerophages formosus.

Zebra Shrimp http://www.rva.ne.jp/shrimp/neocari_sp_zeblla.htm

Maaaany shrimp!! http://www.rva.ne.jp/shrimp/3.htm

[edinjapan]

BTW 1/2 down the page is the book I want check it out...

http://www.a-elfish.com/

[Mustafa]

Hi Ed!

Not sure about. Mine don't look to be that large and you are more than welcome to come over and measure them yourself. I'll even let you take 100 or so home with you.

--I won't be making it to Japan anytime soon, but what about just sending me 20-30 of them so I can see for myself. I'll pay for shipping and other costs of course.

I've seen it listed as a "Zebra Shrimp"

--That's the problem with too many "common" names. People talk about the same shrimp and don't even know it.

I don't know if the author even knows about the website, the book was printed in 1976 and this is the 3rd printing. The website may have taken its information from the book...

--Wow..1976 huh? I did not know that anyone was even keeping shrimp back then. Can you tell me the title, author and ISBN of this book? Either way, much has changed since then and new information is becoming available on these shrimp almost on a daily basis so that even information written about many shrimp in the hobby a year ago is obsolete. That's why I chose to disperse info through this website instead of a book. Much easier to keep up to date.

Maaaany shrimp!! http://www.rva.ne.jp/shrimp/3.htm

--Nice pictures on that website, but I'd be veeeeery careful about the info on that website. Many things are just plain wrong and the website seems to list the same types of shrimp as even different species. For example it shows a greenish shrimp with a long rostrum which is a healthy shrimp and then it shows a reddish one of the same shrimp, which is a *sick* shrimp and the website seems to think they are different species. I have had this shrimp before and that's how I know.

Take care,
Mustafa

[Mustafa]

BTW 1/2 down the page is the book I want check it out...

http://www.a-elfish.com/

If you mean the one in German, I have it. It's not a book. It's a "special" edition of an Aquarium Magazine from Germany. It has some nice pictures but most of the Info is already waaaay obsolete again.

Take care,
Mustafa

[edinjapan]

BTW 1/2 down the page is the book I want check it out...

http://www.a-elfish.com/

If you mean the one in German, I have it. It's not a book. It's a "special" edition of an Aquarium Magazine from Germany. It has some nice pictures but most of the Info is already waaaay obsolete again.

Take care,
Mustafa

No, I mean the Japanese book on red shrimp!

[Mustafa]

No, I mean the Japanese book on red shrimp!

Oh that book! Yes, that book looks interesting. Those Crystal Reds (or red bees) on the cover are *very* nice. Unfortunately, you probably need to keep breeding them selective as they probably do not breed true. I am not into selective breeding at all at this point. I'm more like a "wild-type" guy, both with fish and shrimp.

Mustafa

[edinjapan]

I don't know if the author even knows about the website, the book was printed in 1976 and this is the 3rd printing. The website may have taken its information from the book...

--Wow..1976 huh? I did not know that anyone was even keeping shrimp back then. Can you tell me the title, author and ISBN of this book? Either way, much has changed since then and new information is becoming available on these shrimp almost on a daily basis so that even information written about many shrimp in the hobby a year ago is obsolete. That's why I chose to disperse info through this website instead of a book. Much easier to keep up to date.


Take care,
Mustafa

The Japanese have a thing for insects and crustaceans. They've had the bug for years and we kinda came late to the scene. In fact Amano san who is credited with the craze of keeping shrimp in planted tanks did not have an original idea, he just popularized it.

Search for ISBN4-635-06227-9 Yama Kei Publishers Co Ltd Yama Kei Pocket Guide #17 last printing was 2000 3/4

[edinjapan]

No, I mean the Japanese book on red shrimp!

Oh that book! Yes, that book looks interesting. Those Crystal Reds (or red bees) on the cover are *very* nice. Unfortunately, you probably need to keep breeding them selective as they probably do not breed true. I am not into selective breeding at all at this point. I'm more like a "wild-type" guy, both with fish and shrimp.

Mustafa

So, you are a wild and crazy guy. yes these shrimp need to be selectively bred. That's why they cost an arm, a leg and your first born child.

[Mustafa]

Thanks for the info on the book. And, yes, I am a "wild and crazy" type of guy.