Scientific Name Change for Pearl Shrimp/Sand Shrimp!

[Mustafa]

After a conversation with a friend of mine who likes to look at shrimp under the microscope and compare them to scientific literature (and he's very good at that...i.e. he's a "shrimp specialist" in that area), I have decided to change the scientific name of the Pearl/Sand Shrimp to Macrobrachium cf. mirabile. It is either M. mirabile or very closely related to M. mirabile, but apparently not Macrobrachium banjare.

Here you go...an example of "work in progress" in the identification of our aquarium shrimp!

Mustafa

[retardo]

any idea if this finding will be published?

[Mustafa]

It's been published for years. IDing shrimp is matching the shrimp to the right publication....it's not that easy. Sometimes you think you found the right species, and then you realize that there is a better match. Plus...as I have said before, tons of shrimp species have not even been scientifically described yet which make IDing even more difficult.

Mustafa

[cro117]

Taxonamy is like paleontology; just make something up and whos going to correct you. :)

im just kidding i have great respect for taxonomy. could you recomend some good literature on freshwater shrimp, preferably online? i have access to scientific publications like ebscohost. i am espesialy interested in behavior.

[Mustafa]

Shrimp taxonomy in general is in need of a major revision anyway. Lots of shrimp were described 100 years or more ago and there are still no revisions! There are *very* few scientists specializing in these animals (unfortunately).

The best way to search is not by publication but by species first. Type in "Caridina" or "Macrobrachium" into Ebscohost and you should be getting a bunch of journal articles going back 4-5 years. In those journal articles are citations to other, older works...and in those...more citations. That's how you search. Let me warn you though...you will find practically NOTHING about shrimp behavior in these papers. It's almost exclusively taxonomic stuff and it's not easy for most mortals to read through that and have some fund doing it (it seems like it's hard work).

Good luck.

Mustafa

[Jackie]

After a conversation with a friend of mine who likes to look at shrimp under the microscope and compare them to scientific literature (and he's very good at that...i.e. he's a "shrimp specialist" in that area), I have decided to change the scientific name of the Pearl/Sand Shrimp to Macrobrachium cf. mirabile. It is either M. mirabile or very closely related to M. mirabile, but apparently not Macrobrachium banjare.

Hi, Mustafa!
I've payed a visit to Chris Lukhaup a few days ago, he told me the same about mirabile, are you talking about Werner Klotz? Or is there someone else who made the same discovery?

BTW - me and my friend Pawel (who was my companion during the visit to Chris) have a problem with a shrimp we bought from one wholesaler in Poland. The shrimp is shown on http://www.crusta10.de/index.php?sideid=news_de described as the shrimp bought by Pawel Szewczak. Chris has a problem with identification of this creature. We brought a few live species with us, but still a few are in Pawel's shop. Mustafa, HELP PLEASE! We can send some photos if you like.

This shrimp is very beautiful - it's a shame not to know what it really is.

[Mustafa]

Hi Jackie!

Hi, Mustafa!
I've payed a visit to Chris Lukhaup a few days ago, he told me the same about mirabile, are you talking about Werner Klotz? Or is there someone else who made the same discovery?

--Yes, it's Werner. He's great when it comes to stuff like this. I personally do not like looking at dead shrimp all that much, so I let him and Andreas Karge do it. Chris posted this news on his Website a day after I posted it here I think.

BTW - me and my friend Pawel (who was my companion during the visit to Chris) have a problem with a shrimp we bought from one wholesaler in Poland. The shrimp is shown on http://www.crusta10.de/index.php?sideid=news_de described as the shrimp bought by Pawel Szewczak. Chris has a problem with identification of this creature. We brought a few live species with us, but still a few are in Pawel's shop. Mustafa, HELP PLEASE! We can send some photos if you like.

--You will need to show me more pictures and tell me at least approximately where this shrimp is from. The shrimp on Chris' website is sick (hence the milky coloration) and is probably not even showing its natural colors. Send some pics over and I'll give it a shot. The worst thing that can happen is that it is just a new shrimp none of us has ever seen. .

Mustafa

[Jackie]

Hi Mustafa!

You will need to show me more pictures and tell me at least approximately where this shrimp is from.

Where it comes from- nobody knows The wholesalers adore making a secret of this. But I'll try to find out.

The shrimp on Chris' website is sick (hence the milky coloration) and is probably not even showing its natural colors.

It's not showing it's natural colors at all, but I don't think it's sick, rather tired - it had a long trip in our car (about 17 hours). We were exhausted, the shrimp also, I think

Send some pics over and I'll give it a shot. The worst thing that can happen is that it is just a new shrimp none of us has ever seen. .

Thanks Mustafa, I'll get some pictures tomorrow and send them over

[Mustafa]

Hi Jackie!

Where it comes from- nobody knows The wholesalers adore making a secret of this. But I'll try to find out.

--The wholesaler definitely knows if he imported the shrimp. He's just afraid that you might try to get the shrimp from the same source.

It's not showing it's natural colors at all, but I don't think it's sick, rather tired - it had a long trip in our car (about 17 hours). We were exhausted, the shrimp also, I think

--That "milky" sickness is caused through all kinds of environmental stress, including being in a car for 17 hours. If it's that kind of stress the milky coloration is usually reversable and the shrimp will be fine. However, if the stress comes from chemicals in the water (i.e. bad water quality) then most of the shrimp I have seen don't make it.

Can you describe the natural coloration of this shrimp (in case the pictures don't come out well)?

Thanks Mustafa, I'll get some pictures tomorrow and send them over

Thank you! I'll wait for the pics.

Take care,
Mustafa