South American Blackwater Shrimp?

[JG]

Hi all,

I was wondering if there are any freshwater shrimp from South America that are found in the blackwater and/or swamp areas native to Angelfish, tetras, etc.?

One of the LFS in my city is currently carrying about 5-6 varieties of FW shrimp, however I understand that many hail from Asia. Thanks for bearing with a FW shrimp newbie.

Thanks,

J

[Neonshrimp]

Hi JG and welcome to the site If you are looking for shrimp that will be compatable with certain water conditions/parameters I would read the water parameters portion of the "Shrimp varieties" section of this site. You can then compare them to the conditions you are considering. Did you read the "How to keep dwarf shrimp" article yet? It is a pretty good guide on how to get started. I hope you find what you need and please keep us updated on your experiences

[Veneer]

I know for a fact that several species of Psuedopalaemon, Macrobrachium, Euryrhynchus, and Palaemonetes are native to certain blackwater tributaries of the Amazon.

[Mustafa]

Hi all,

I was wondering if there are any freshwater shrimp from South America that are found in the blackwater and/or swamp areas native to Angelfish, tetras, etc.?

Yes, there are shrimp there, but they are either not available in the hobby or unsuitable for aquaria (more about it in the next post).

Asia is the most species rich continent when it comes to aquarium shrimp. The sri lanka dwarf shrimp (see shrimp varieties page) comes from blackwater areas. However, I would not recommend putting any of these small shrimp together with Angelfish (will eat adults and babies) or tetras (will eat babies for sure, maybe some adults, too, depending on tetra species). A shrimp only tank is the best way to go.

[Mustafa]

I know for a fact that several species of Psuedopalaemon,

Not available in the hobby.

Macrobrachium,

I know of one species that has been imported a few times. Very secretive and partly nocturnal species. Hides most of the time. Not clear if it's a blackwater species. South America does not always equal blackwater. The judgment on the suitability of this species is still out. Not a very active Macrobrachium for sure.

Euryrhynchus,

True blackwater species. However, it's like a roach. It's *TOTALLY* nocturnal. In other words, you'll be happy if you *ever* see this shrimp once you put it in your tank. They sit in some dark corner all day long. Not suitable at all for the hobby in my opinion. I have a few of them right now and I never see them.

Palaemonetes

Now these are the only shrimp from South America (that I know of so far) that I consider suitable for the hobby. They (several species) are day active and similar in behavior and look to our native Palaemonetes paludosus. Depending on the species and population they occur in acidic (including blackwater) and alkaline waters in South America. I have a small group of these guys right now.

[JG]

Thanks for the information all.

I'm quite familiar with keeping South American fish from various locales, however it's the shrimps that I know nothing about. I'll do some reading about the Palaemonetes species. Are the Palaemonetes paludosus usually the Ghost Shrimp one would find in the LFS? I'm mostly interested in something native to blackwater conditions in South America - somewhat specific, however the tank is quite specific. There are lots of nooks and crevices for shrimps to hang out so I'm hoping they would survive if raised amongst a pair of juvenile Angelfish.

I currently keep various marine shrimp and love the behaviour they exhibit in the tank. Some are quite interactive with myself which makes for some cheap entertainment.

Thanks,

J

PS: Any idea of the complete names for those blackwater SA Palaemonetes?

[Veneer]

Euryrhynchus,

True blackwater species. However, it's like a roach. It's *TOTALLY* nocturnal. In other words, you'll be happy if you *ever* see this shrimp once you put it in your tank. They sit in some dark corner all day long. Not suitable at all for the hobby in my opinion. I have a few of them right now and I never see them.

For what it counts, my single male Euryrhynchus (species unknown) was neither as secretive as the specimens here described by Jackie nor truly nocturnal. I frequently saw mine exploring by day a transparent (albeit later somewhat algae-covered) hide I made by furnishing a plastic "Kritter Keeper" with sand, shells, and Java fern. Flake food was accepted from tweezers.

[Mustafa]

Are the Palaemonetes paludosus usually the Ghost Shrimp one would find in the LFS?

Yes. At least in the US and some parts of Canada.

There are lots of nooks and crevices for shrimps to hang out so I'm hoping they would survive if raised amongst a pair of juvenile Angelfish.

You'll be trying your luck. They'll be hiding all the time at best and get eaten at worst. Why lose rare shrimp unnecessarily? I would recommend setting up a species tank for any shrimp you might be getting in the future. You should have an established population first before trying any experiments. Don't be fooled by the small mouth of angelfish. They can be very vicious.

Any idea of the complete names for those blackwater SA Palaemonetes?

There are three species of Palaemonetes known from the Amazon basin: Paleamonetes mercedae, P. ivonicus and P. carteri. they all look extremely similar to each other and *may* just be regional variations of one species, but that still needs to be clarified. I honestly don't know which one I have right now, but it might just be P. ivonicus, as that species seems to be quite common all over the amazon basin.

If you are planning on purchasing some, I will need to disappoint you. There is nobody who sells them right now and I don't think they will be sold anytime soon as they are very expensive to import and tons of of them die in transit. Plus, there are no captive-bred populations of these shrimp yet.

[Mustafa]

For what it counts, my single male Euryrhynchus (species unknown) was neither as secretive as the specimens here described by Jackie nor truly nocturnal. I frequently saw mine exploring by day a transparent (albeit later somewhat algae-covered) hide I made by furnishing a plastic "Kritter Keeper" with sand, shells, and Java fern. Flake food was accepted from tweezers.

Interesting. Maybe the males are more active. Funny enough all my animals were females. Also, at what ph do you keep your shrimp? The literature says that they occur in acidic waters, but that does not necessarily have to be true for all populations.

[JG]

I'm quite familiar with Angelfish, SA/CA cichlids, etc. Angelfish may appear delicate but can be quite territorial and aggressive.

[Veneer]

Also, at what ph do you keep your shrimp? The literature says that they occur in acidic waters, but that does not necessarily have to be true for all populations.

Around 7.3 or so.

On another note, I've seen some mention of the sergestid shrimp Acetes paraguayensis. To your knowledge, has this species ever been exported?

[Mustafa]

Around 7.3 or so.

Thanks.

On another note, I've seen some mention of the sergestid shrimp Acetes paraguayensis. To your knowledge, has this species ever been exported?

From what I can tell this species is actually a crab, not a shrimp:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/ucamara/crustaceans.htm
(Scroll all the way down to the bottom)

In any case, I've never heard about this species being imported, but who knows, it might have come in under a different (i.e. wrong) name. In general crustacean imports from south america are very rare.

[Veneer]

From what I can tell this species is actually a crab, not a shrimp:

Acetes paraguayensis is indeed a shrimp, I've discovered. It looks like it has well-developed swimming ability and some interesting communal behavior too.

From this article (PDF), which explores the possibility of Batesian-like mimicry in assemblages of transparent shrimp and fish (nice images of Palaemonetes carteri, too):

A second cryptic association was recorded in at least two occasions in Northern Brazil, at daytime (rio Côco , 09º38’46’’S, 49º59’27’’W, rio Araguaia basin, Tocantins State, February 2001) and night time (Itapará stream, 00º16’51’’S, 16º23’12’’W, rio Branco basin, Roraima State, March 2005). Several individuals of the engraulid Amazonsprattus scintilla were found among swarms of the sergestid shrimp Acetes paraguayensis in a pelagic environment, both fish and shrimp with transparent body (see Whitehead et al., 1988; Melo, 2003). The small and slender shrimp congregates in huge numbers along the banks of clear and black water rivers, usually moving upstream at mid-water during early flooding season (Omori, 1975; J.Z., pers. obs.). The very small size (14.8-20.8 mm) and the transparency of the engraulid rendered it almost invisible among the similarly-sized shrimps (15.0- 20.9 mm) while swimming within the seine, and the fish came to view only when sorted among the catch.

[Mustafa]

Acetes paraguayensis is indeed a shrimp, I've discovered. It looks like it has well-developed swimming ability and some interesting communal behavior too.

It took you almost two years to discover that? Joking aside, yes, it does *not* seem to be a crab. I have no idea why a crab is labeled "Acetes" in the link above. However, sergestid shrimp are not "true" shrimp. Only shrimp in the suborder "Pleocyemata" and the infraorder "Caridea" are scientifically considered "true" shrimp. These are the shrimp that you commonly see carrying eggs around.

Acetes is a species in a completely different suborder within the order Decapoda. It belongs to the suborder "Dendobranchiata" and the superfamily "Sergestoidea" and the family "Sergestidae." "Shrimp" in the suborder dendobranchiata are so different from our familiar aquarium shrimp, or true shrimp, that even crabs, crayfish and lobsters are more closely related to our aquarium shrimp (they are all in the suborder Pleocyemata). This is another example of an animals called a "shrimp" commonly (at least in the US..in the UK, Australia etc. they seem to call them "prawn") that is not considered a true "shrimp" by scientists, similar to brine "shrimp, fairy "shrimp" etc...etc.. Even freshwater amphipods (scuds) are commonly called "freshwater shrimp" by many.

More familiar shrimp/prawns within Dendobrachiata are the "prawns" from the superfamily Penaeoidea and the family "Penaeidae." Those are the shrimp/prawns that most of us eat whenever we order any kind of shrimp dish in restaurants. Panaeus monodon is commonly seen frozen in supermarkets. These shrimp do not really carry eggs around but "lay" their eggs in open (ocean) water where they float to the bottom. I'm not familiar with sergestid shrimp, but I assume that they reproduce in a similar fashion. I have never really heard/read about a shrimp within Dendobranchiata that has completely adapted to freshwater and thus completes its whole life-cycle outside the ocean. It would be interesting to read how Acetes spp. that live in rivers reproduce, although I bet that they have to either migrate to estuaries and/or release eggs out which larvae hatch that are swept to the ocean.