Hi My name is Håvard. I am an aquarist from Norway.
Currently I am working on a Norwegien database of different species of freshwater shrimps and crabs. Crayfish are illegal to keep so we leave them out of the database.
In our database i just called them Neocaridina sp. ´Kees´ because I bought them from Kees De Jong from the Netherlands.
I wonder... Are these of the Genus Neocaridina and do any of you know anything about species or variant? It is rather importent for me because I am selling quite a few at local auctions etc. It would be nice to give them a name
First and foremost I am wondering about genus. I got them as Neocaridina sp. Secondly I wonder about specie. As I understand the latter can be dificult to establish on these animals. I would appreciate anyones opinion on the matter.
Sorry The picture did not work, but the link above is fine
Sorry, but I have never seen this shrimp variety before. This particular one on the picture looks actually kind of stressed, so maybe they look differently under normal conditions. It is most likely not a Neocaridina at all, but just a mislabeled Caridina. There used to be a time when people thought that all shrimp with direct larval development (i.e. little shrimp hatching out of eggs instead larvae) are all Neocaridina and shrimp with larval stages were Caridina. That was obviously wrong. So, that's why you might have received this shrimp as "Neocaridina sp.", not because the guy you got them from knew what they really were, but still subscribes to the above theory.
The only way to really figure it out is to take a closer look at it. It might actually make sense to establish a number system like with the plecos and Corydoras.
Thank you for your reply. I guess I just have to do without an ID. It is difficult identifying shrimps. With fish there are also uncertaintees, but there is so much good material written and so many photos of fish that it is easier.