New Macrobrachium Shrimp from Peru!

[Mustafa]

Here are some pictures of one species out of probably 2-3 species of Peruvian shrimp I got from Peru:

Female (non-ovigerous):

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperufemale.jpg

Female (ovigerous):

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperufemale1.jpg

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperufemale2.jpg

These shrimp are right now about a little over 2 inches long...let's see how big they can get. The funny thing is that they are absolutely peaceful toward each other and other tank inhabitants (so far anyway).

I also have an almost black (very dark blue to black) ovigerous female and a couple of nice males of some other species of Macrobrachium. Finally, I have a shrimp that looks like a smaller version of our native P. paludosus, but produces miniature shrimp instead of floating larvae (just like all the other species of shrimp from Peru).

The shrimp in Peru reproduce this way (few large eggs, benthic hatchlings) since Peru is so far away from the Atlantic ocean in which the Amazon and all the other rivers flowing into the Amazon end up flowing. No floating larvae would ever survive such a trip all the way to the sea.

I am really happy that I have these shrimp and will try to reproduce and distribute them as soon as I can. These shrimp have NEVER been exported to anywhere in the world before as far as I know (so not even Germany and Japan has these shrimp).

Mustafa

[theshrimp_123]

COOL!

When can we be expecting these in the shrimp shop? hehehehe.....

[TKD]

So i guess you will be selling them for 30$ (or more) each then lol



TKD

[Mustafa]

So i guess you will be selling them for 30$ (or more) each then lol



TKD

--No, I am not going to charge $30 or more each, but if I did they would be worth every single penny. People don't realize how much time, money and effort it takes to locate these shrimp and arrange their import, especially if you do not want to import trillions of them but just enough to establish a breeding population. Then you have to establish several tanks for Macrobrachium species to try to breed them, since they do not lend themselves to colony breeding. Also, most of the time it is MUCH more difficult to keep wild shrimp alive and get them to breed than domestically bred shrimp.

It's a little different from just driving to the petstore and buying some animals. Considering that you do not have to go through all this, you can be happy if you can get shrimp like that for $30/each without having to go through all that trouble.

Having said that, they won't be $30/each since I am trying to spread these shrimp in the hobby and not make them impossible to purchase for most people. On the other hand, if they are too cheap, people won't appreciate them and treat them badly according to their price. Just look at what's happening to the local "ghost shrimp" (Palaemonetes paludosus), which people kill carelessly on a daily basis since "they are only 10 for a dollar and I can always get more..." That kind of attitude makes me sick.

Mustafa

[TKD]

Ummm I was only trying to be funny.....

TKD

[Mustafa]

Ummm I was only trying to be funny.....

TKD

It's ok, I wasn't going off on you. I just wanted to set things clear...that's all.

Mustafa

[edinjapan]

So i guess you will be selling them for 30$ (or more) each then lol



TKD

--No, I am not going to charge $30 or more each, but if I did they would be worth every single penny. People don't realize how much time, money and effort it takes to locate these shrimp and arrange their import, especially if you do not want to import trillions of them but just enough to establish a breeding population. Then you have to establish several tanks for Macrobrachium species to try to breed them, since they do not lend themselves to colony breeding. Also, most of the time it is MUCH more difficult to keep wild shrimp alive and get them to breed than domestically bred shrimp.

It's a little different from just driving to the petstore and buying some animals. Considering that you do not have to go through all this, you can be happy if you can get shrimp like that for $30/each without having to go through all that trouble.

Having said that, they won't be $30/each since I am trying to spread these shrimp in the hobby and not make them impossible to purchase for most people. On the other hand, if they are too cheap, people won't appreciate them and treat them badly according to their price. Just look at what's happening to the local "ghost shrimp" (Palaemonetes paludosus), which people kill carelessly on a daily basis since "they are only 10 for a dollar and I can always get more..." That kind of attitude makes me sick.

Mustafa

You may have to charge $30 each or more at the start just to get the funds to pay for the necessary research to successfully breed and raise these shrimp. As success and succeeding generations ensue the price will come down to a more reasonable cost. Unfortunately, this is an unavoidable fact.

[Veneer]

Mustafa, from what locality of Peru did these shrimp originate? Can you provide an description of the ecological particulars of their habitat? While on the topic of Peruvian Macrobrachium, do you have any notion about the affinity of the species you collected with the "Redstripe Shrimp" depicted (under the heading of "Long-Arm and Other Species") here?

[Mustafa]

Mustafa, from what locality of Peru did these shrimp originate?

Neighborhood of Iquitos in the Amazon basin.

Can you provide an description of the ecological particulars of their habitat?

--They come from the same rainforest rivers that are part of the Amazon river system that the more common tetras and dwarf cichlids come from. I'll try to find out the exact location (i.e. River) where they were caught from my Peru contact. It will be included in the final webpage that I will make for these shrimp on this site.

While on the topic of Peruvian Macrobrachium, do you have any notion about the affinity of the species you collected with the "Redstripe Shrimp" depicted (under the heading of "Long-Arm and Other Species") here?

--I arranged for my Peru contact to send the shrimp to Frank instead of me since Frank had more space. So...his shrimp on the pic is most likely the same species as the shrimp I am talking about, although I cannot be 100% sure since probably several species arrived in the same shipment...I'm still trying to figure that out.

Take care,
Mustafa

[Mustafa]

Here are some more pictures of this new Macrobrachium. My alpha male finally came to the front of the tank today so I could take some nice pictures. This is the most beautiful and amazing Macrobrachium I have ever seen personally. The red colors are much more lively in real life and don't come out as well on the pictures.

I measured the body today and it's about 4.5-5cm (a little under 2 inches). The plants in my tank have not been touched either.

Here it goes:

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperualphamale.jpg

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperualphamale2.jpg

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperualphamale3.jpg

http://www.petshrimp.com/files/macroperualphamale4.jpg


Take care,
Mustafa

[theshrimp_123]

Those are beautiful! I will have to buy from frank(or you, whoever is availible first).

[amber2461]

Wow ... makes me wanna have another tank just for them ...but nah ... I happen to love my shrimps and although yours are beautiful Mustafa, I will just be content to admire them online

[kingkano]

Very beautiful. I am coming to like Macro's alot more hehe

[kross]

hmm...wonder if it can tolerate some species of apistogramma coming from peru as well....

[Jackie]

Here are some more pictures of this new Macrobrachium.

Mustafa, I think we have the same shrimp, we bought it under the name "Otorongo shrimp". I'll try to put up a few pictures tomorrow, so you may compare them.

If it's the same shrimp I'll die of happieness