Dyed Shrimp?

Pi · Post by Pi » Sun May 08, 2005 4:16 pm

There are wood shrimp for sale at a local store that are quite blue in color. Other than that they are definitely wood shrimp.

I've done a search online, but I couldn't find anything. I figured here would be the best place to ask.

Has anyone heard of these guys being dyed?

Pi

Veneer · Post by **Veneer** » Sun May 08, 2005 4:47 pm

Are you certain they were not Atya gabonensis, a similar Atyid that, especially when young, often assumes a blue tinge?

Pi · Post by Pi » Sun May 08, 2005 5:57 pm

yes, unfortunately, I'm sure.

I did an image search on the atya gabonesis. They are similar but definitely not the same. No, this was a wood shrimp- I have one, and they look exactly the same (even around the same size)- except this one is blue.

Pi

Shroitaka · Post by **Shroitaka** » Sun May 08, 2005 7:09 pm

mine turn slightly blue sometime, but not a deep blue and another one of mine turn slightly green.
what kind of blue are you referring to?

jason

Pi · Post by Pi » Sun May 08, 2005 8:16 pm

Medium blue, I would call it cornflower blue, but that's a fairly subjective name. I certainly hope it isn't dye, but I'd never heard of them being naturally blue before.

Pi

chlorophyll · Post by **chlorophyll** » Mon May 09, 2005 2:11 am

http://www.faszination-krebse.de/Garnel ... rnele.html

Google translated version

Would this be an example of a dyed shrimp, or is there any possibility this is legit? It's so beautiful that I doubt it to be true.

Pi · Post by Pi » Mon May 09, 2005 8:44 am

Wow, what a beauty! The shrimp I saw was not quite so purple in color.

antoinette · Post by **antoinette** » Tue May 10, 2005 1:43 am

I once bought some blue caridina's from a german webshop. Only once i saw my shrimps blueish for the rest of the time they kept brown

Since i hear the same story over and over again from other shrimpowners i don't believe in blue shrimps anymore.

antoinette · Post by **antoinette** » Tue May 10, 2005 1:47 am

sorry double again

this was my blue one but in real it was not that blue. Maybe the flash made it seem more blue than it realy was.

fugly · Post by **fugly** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:51 am

Some shrimps have the ability to change color, such as Malayan, Rainbow, and Ninja shrimp. I don't think it's possible to have so-called dyed-shrimps. Most likely they are reactions to changes in their environment (e.g., pH). I think if a shrimp were to be dyed, it would die much sooner than later.

BTW, antoinette, beautiful specimen! The blue you got may very likely be a result of the flash against the exoskeleton of the shrimp itself, which may be irresdescent (reflects light) to give you that kind of tint.

Aphyosemion · Post by **Aphyosemion** » Tue May 10, 2005 8:30 pm

I know I saw a picture on aquabid of what was being called inidan algae shrimp, but they were a variety typically called green shrimp in the hobby. There were multiple shrimp, each one being a bright color in stark contrast to each other. One was bright blue, one red, one yellow, etc. I have green shrimp, so I know that they change color to match their surroundings. I imagine the photographer placed them on something of the appropriate color and after a while they changed to match. I have seen my green shrimp every color from pale yellow to bright green, to red, depending on what group of plants they are hanging out on. I was particularly surprised when I noticed that one had turned red while sitting on a red plant, since I thought their camouflage was limited to just becoming a little brighter or darker green.
With all that being said, they probably have no reason in most tanks to turn blue and those pics don't appear to be "green" shrimp. I would pay good money for a shrimp that was that bright purple color that is in that one pic, as long as it was it's true color and not dye.
-Aphyosemion

chlorophyll · Post by **chlorophyll** » Wed May 11, 2005 1:27 am

I know I saw a picture on aquabid of what was being called inidan algae shrimp, but they were a variety typically called green shrimp in the hobby. There were multiple shrimp, each one being a bright color in stark contrast to each other. One was bright blue, one red, one yellow, etc.

Though on the shrimp varieties page, "Green shrimp" and "Indian algae shrimp" are marked as possibly being the same species. Then on the indian algae shrimp page Mustafa states that he hasn't been able to observe (or verify any reports of) crossbreeding between the two shrimp types. It's quite conflicting information (understandably, since there is not much research established on these shrimp), but I am interested in knowing if there might be any further clarification at this time?

The Indian algae shrimp are noted to have variable coloration, while Mustafa doesn't say this of Green shrimp. It would seem you might actually have Indian algae shrimp... if in fact it is a separate species.

Though there are no blues, you might have been referring to this auction and picture at aquabid.
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/ ... 1115318361

Or not

But anyway, I noticed this picture earlier. It looks legitimate to me that these could be so called "Indian algae shrimp" but I also do not have first hand experience with these shrimp. It also appears likely there is at least one shrimp of a different species in the picture... the clearish one toward the bottom left resembles a Palaemonid to me, although its claws really are not clearly visible, so... I don't really know.

Just a day or two ago I made a purchase of "green shrimp" from seller "Dga" (formerly Bluefront___), or Rob and Neil C. I debated on whether to purchase the "green shrimp" or the "Green shrimp(India)", and decided on just green. I am very interested in seeing if mine will be truly greens, or will they also be widely variable in color as if they are "Indian." Either way I'll be happy to have them, but am hoping they are true greens.

Dga seems to get their hands on the widest assortment of shrimp species (at least of those for sale on aquabid). In the past I briefly exchanged emails with Rob (my impression is that he handles the animal care more) and he said he isn't a breeder ... the crustaceans they sell are basically imports. I'm guessing from Asia, unless they actually have contact with a breeder in their area. So they themselves don't seem to know a GREAT deal about the various shrimp species, but do seem to manage to keep them in favorable health.

I have no problem with buying from them, but hopefully they do take steps to not have crossbreeding incidentally occuring in their holding tanks so that hybrids (or hybrid eggs) aren't really getting distributed.

Jorge · Post by **Jorge** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 9:56 am

I've bought this some times ago, they came blue... do you think they were dyed? what species it is? mixed with them came this red.

IndianaSam · Post by **IndianaSam** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:11 am

Jorge wrote:I've bought this some times ago, they came blue... do you think they were dyed? what species it is? mixed with them came this red.

Possibly wild-type Neocaridina denticulata sinensis? The red ones are a cultured variety.

Post by **Mustafa** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:18 am

Hard to say if they were dyed....but possible. All I know is that I have acquired and bred all the so called "blue shrimp" available in the market and every single time the offpspring never showed any blue. You can see a hint of bluish sometimes, but you need a lot of imagination for that.

That's the reason I have not listed any "blue" shrimp on my shrimp varieties page. All of the ones available seem to be some type of Neocaridina sp.