A Brief Overview of Popular Shrimp Species
From the Amano all the way to the Yellow Shrimp, there are over 1,900 different shrimp species in the world. Not to be confused with their close relative the prawn, shrimp can be classified by their branching gills and second abdominal plate that overlaps the first and third plate. They can live in tropical and fresh water ecosystems, and vary in size from 1.2 cm to over 30 cm in length.
Listed below are several different species of shrimp popular to aquarium hobbyists, and some of their defining characteristics.
Amano Shrimp
The Amano Shrimp, also called the Japanese swamp shrimp, originated in the Yamoto River region of Japan, but it can also be found in certain areas of Taiwan and Korea. It ranges in size from 3.5 – 5 cm in length. They have a transparent body which can be gray or light green in color, with several red-brownish spots on the side. The Amano Shrimp grew in popularity in America in the mid 1990s as an algae eater for home aquariums.
Crystal Red Shrimp
The Crystal Red Shrimp, also known as the Red Bee Shrimp, is a popular aquarium breed, due to its lovely white and red coloring, unfound in other freshwater shrimp species. Many breeders have taken to selective breeding to enhance this color, and there are even color grade rating systems for the Crystal Red.
This species is small in size (approximately 2.5 cm as an adult), and lives from 1.5 – 2 years on average. In the wild, they can be found in parts of southern China and Southeast Asia, but they are also bred in shrimp farms and later distributed to the many shrimp hobbyists that would like to adorn their aquariums with the brilliant colors these shrimp have to offer.
Peppermint Shrimp
The Peppermint Shrimp, aptly named for its cream-colored species marked with vibrant maroon stripes, is a saltwater species that originated in the Florida Key area of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean as well. They are carnivorous, and will scavenge the ocean floors at night. In captivity, they are especially helpful in ridding reef tanks of aiptasia—a type of anemone.
An interesting feature of the Peppermint Shrimp involves their reproduction. They are protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites, and therefore are born with male reproductive organs and grow female organs later on. Once they grow the female reproductive organs, they maintain the male ones, further distinguishing them from other species. Peppermint Shrimp are easily bred because of this, as simply pairing two together in captivity will eventually lead to them mating and reproducing.
Red Nose Shrimp
Red Nose Shrimp, or Pinocchio Shrimp, are one of the most easily recognized shrimp species. They are absolutely crystal clear, save for a long red marking that goes the length of its body and elongated rostrum, attributing to its nickname. The Red Nose Shrimp is mostly herbivorous by nature, but will resort to eating mosquito larvae and pellet crumbs if its natural food sources run scarce. Unlike most herbivorous species of shrimp, they are social creatures and will often be found floating and drifting in the water instead of hiding beneath driftwood and plants.
Yellow Shrimp
Yellow Shrimp are a selectively bred variation of the Red Cherry Shrimp found in Japan. They grow to be approximately 3 cm in length, and boast a vivid sunshine yellow exoskeleton at maturation. They are omnivorous and enjoy a varied diet, which acts to keep them healthy and able to produce up to 25 eggs in one batch.
Be they for consumption or hobby, freshwater or saltwater living, shrimp species span every color of the rainbow and are found in most every area of the world.