# Hawaiian shrimp part deux?



## cousinkenni (Jan 24, 2005)

Eric and Aaron,

This post is mainly for these two guys but anyone with any knowledge or that lives in Hawaii is more than welcome to post!

So a couple of years ago I bought some "ghost shrimp" or "feeder shrimp" from one of the local pet stores. I bought them mainly as food for my cichlids and to throw in my planted tanks for the hell of it. After observing them for a couple days in the planted tank some of them had turned from absolutely clear to dark brown. They also weren't behaving like detritivores, they were on the leaves of plants eating the algae. This got me thinking.

After reading info on various shrimp sites and seeing pictures of the true glass or ghost shrimp (_Palaemonetes paludosus_) I realized that the body shape was completely different.

One day a few weeks ago I did a shearch for the Red Cherrie shrimp to see if it was on the list of importation into Hawaii (hawaii dept of Ag is pretty strict in what they allow into the state) and I came accross this article:

Neocardina denticulata sinensis

So moral of the story is: 
Here in hawaii we have this species, it lives in every freshwater habitat on this island at least and you can buy them in every local pet store for the price of 10-15 for $1.00!

Pretty cool huh?

So my question to the other Oahu natives if the shrimp species is here everywhere........why can't we have the cherry red variety and just claim that we got it from the local stream? HDOA can't do anything about it.......they are technicall and scientifically the same species!!!!!!!!

Ken T.


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## usafresq (Mar 13, 2005)

Interesting thought, I did some reading and ghost shrimp like to eat algae so that may be why you saw them on the leaves. I've had some before and they turned brown either during their molt or their breeding season. I never really paid close attention to them but they were always breeding and took turns turning brown. I'm interested to hear what else has to be said on the subject.

Kevin


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

Ken,
I guess you could say that you caught your cherry shrimp in Manoa stream... there is a guy who said he caught his Fly River Turtles there too. 

The problem with bringing in cherry shrimp legally is that they are not on the "list". In Hawaii, the Dept of Ag. has control over what is and is not allowed. If an animal is not listed, it is not allowed regardless if it is established on the island. Take Jackson's Chameleons for example. These things are everywhere, but their importation AND exportation are strictly prohibited. 
One can petition to add species onto the list, if you'd like to learn how, ask Chuck. 

As for Neocaridinia denticulata sinensis, These shrimp are EVERYWHERE! Depending on the environment, you can find them in black, brown green and even blue. I am not sure when they were introduced, but I have found them in every stream and pond that I've checked out. they have supplanted the native shrimp in all of these waters, pushing them back up into the head waters above cascades and waterfalls. I went looking for the native ones on several occasions but only seem to find Neocaridinia denticulata sinensis.


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## cousinkenni (Jan 24, 2005)

Aaron,

So the question becomes.......If they are not on the list are they illegal to have in your possession or just to import/export? If it is the former is true then that is retarded because every store in hawaii sell these things and as you know every stream also has them.

Kevin,

If the shrimp that you had before were purchased on Oahu, the chances are they aren't glass or ghost shrimp they are the Neocaridina. Look at the overall body structure. The second reason I believe that they are Neocaridina is (correct me if I am wrong I would love to see a link)........Palaeomonetes all go through a planktanic filter feeding phase of one type or another. When these shrimp reproduce (at least in my tank) they come out as perfect little benthic shrimp. I have never seen a plantonic stage.

Ken T.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

Sorry I can't add anything to this discussion, but it is very interesting. It is sad, however, that native shrimp are being displaced...


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

Ken, 
It is okay for anyone to have them in their possession, so knock yourself out! I have literally thousands of them in my various tanks and fishpond so if you want some, let me know. 

Piscesgirl, 
Yes it is sad, but it seems these shrimp are doing much better on the other islands. They are also very good climbers and are able to scale waterfalls, which gives them the opportunity to go where other alien shrimp dare not.


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## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

And here I was thinking about bringing some Opa'e (Atyoida bisulcata) back to California when I go home to visit this Summer. My brother in Kaneohe said he's been catching shrimp in the local streams and that they've been reproducing in his tank. Since I've read that the Atyoida has a marine larval stage, I didn't know what to make of it. Now I know the reason.


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## usafresq (Mar 13, 2005)

Ken, seeing as how i'm just starting to learn about shrimp I'll trust your judgement. I could be very wrong. The "ghost" shrimp I bought were from stores here on Oahu. I usually go to Pet Discount near the NEX or Coral Fish in Aiea. If I can find again where I got my information from I'll shoot you a PM with the link and everything.

Kevin


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## heyman (Apr 4, 2005)

Hey guys, was wondering if your ghost fish jump - like jump when being chased because what i noticed with one delivery at petland is that the shrimp did jump. Im not sure if any feeder shrimp that we got here in Oahu will eat algae.


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

bharada said:


> And here I was thinking about bringing some Opa'e (Atyoida bisulcata) back to California when I go home to visit this Summer. My brother in Kaneohe said he's been catching shrimp in the local streams and that they've been reproducing in his tank. Since I've read that the Atyoida has a marine larval stage, I didn't know what to make of it. Now I know the reason.


Bill, 
You still can go look for them, as they are out there. You just have to check the part of the stream that is above a waterfall. This means some serious hiking into the various valleys around the island. The windward side has a lot of promising locations. My friend said the shrimp can be found in the back of Waihole valley. If you are still up for hunting this shrimp down when you get out here this summer, give me a buzz, I'm game.


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## Aaron (Feb 12, 2004)

heyman said:


> Hey guys, was wondering if your ghost fish jump - like jump when being chased because what i noticed with one delivery at petland is that the shrimp did jump. Im not sure if any feeder shrimp that we got here in Oahu will eat algae.


All shrimp jump to a degree when in danger.

All the feeder shrimp found on Oahu come from the same source, and are all Neocaridinia denticulata sinensis. These guys do eat algae, but not in large amounts like Amano shrimp. You need a large number of them to make a difference in an infested tank.

BTW, welcome to the forum, the islands are well represented here! Did I meet you at the HAS mtg?


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## cousinkenni (Jan 24, 2005)

> Bill,
> You still can go look for them, as they are out there. You just have to check the part of the stream that is above a waterfall. This means some serious hiking into the various valleys around the island. The windward side has a lot of promising locations. My friend said the shrimp can be found in the back of Waihole valley. If you are still up for hunting this shrimp down when you get out here this summer, give me a buzz, I'm game.


Aaron,

I'm game also..........Actually why wait? lets go sooner!

Ken T.


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## heyman (Apr 4, 2005)

No Aaron i didn't meet you, but maybe I have meet you, i dunno if it was you though , you had bought emperor tetras at Pet land Ala moana im not sure if this was you. BTW do you sell plants, fish , shrimp etc.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Hey, guys, sorry for bumping such an OLD thread, but I'm also trying to research into this topic. Did you guys find any more info in the past 2 1/2 years?
I know there's RCS and Cherries on the islands(probably a lot more), so could I import some if I get a permit? And the yellow and blue variations?

Also, did you guys have any luck on finding any natives? I wanna try and catch a few(maybe bunch ) for my tank, and attempt to breed by scooping out the larval stage babies into a marine tank. Looking for the mountain shrimps xD

Also, I'm gonna try to join HAS next yearD), since I don't really wanna join this friday and have my membership expire right away, lol.

I should go this to the meeting in January or February to save myself $14  I'm 16


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## styderman (Jul 1, 2007)

In Hawaii, its all about who you know. RCS Shrimp are a common thing here. I have eve seen low to high grade CRS shrimp. As with anything, if money is not an object then you can get it. The Opae ula though, from what I have read, are in private fresh water ponds. There are a few public ones but not that many and you got to know where they are.


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## dhavoc (Mar 17, 2006)

dont waste your time with the permit, the state will NOT ALLOW any fw invert into the state unless you are a university or research entity. its like getting a class 3 (full auto) weapons permit here, technically you can apply, but none will ever be granted. even though the yellow and blue are technically variations of an already established species, its a no go. i have already tried and was told personally by the dept of ag.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Awww, I guess I'll just stick with RCS and Cherries  I'll also try to find some opa'e, but dunno where to find them yet, lol.


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## lampeye (Oct 29, 2007)

How difficult would it be for someone, theoretically, of course, to ship some wild-type N. denticulata sinensis from HI to the mainland? If you think this topic is inappropriate for the thread, you can pm me.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Very easy. I can do that for you this weekend actually if you want(still waiting for shipping materials from usps, so maybe not xD).
Though I do have a question.... Where would I get the foam board wood mentions in his shrimp shipping article in Homedepot?
http://www.planetinverts.com/Shipping Shrimp.html
I don't wanna waste my time search/asking(i don't even know what its for exactly) xD

Also, they're from the pet store, so I dunno if the shrimps are bred or caught(i'm sure they're caught since they're so abundant) so I can't really guarantee anything on it(if they caught some hawaiian species, or if they're disease free) .

And exporting is perfectly legal, as long as your state is fine with it, and the species is not protected or something.


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## lampeye (Oct 29, 2007)

I would be more interested in wild-collected, aprticularly if they're a less-than-typical color. If you or anyone else can find 'em, I'll send you a styro box.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Less than typical color? I'm pretty sure most of them get them wild collected anyways since when I talked to one of the emplyoees, they said they occasionally get some of the Hawaiian opae kalaole in their shipments, so they take those and put them in their show tank.

And the ones at the LFS are clear, but after I added them to my tank and found the surviving few a month later, they were brownish.


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## dhavoc (Mar 17, 2006)

gotc, just line the box with cut sheet foam. easiest and cheapest way to make an insulated box. also, i would wait till after the holidays, unless you are shipping express overnight mail. everything will be delayed and with the cold weather you may get thawed frozen shrimp.... from personal experience, i find you need to ship EVERYTHING from or into Hawaii via express overnight or it takes too long. average for standard priority mail is 5-7 days and thats outside the busy holiday season.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Damn, living in Hawaii does pay it's prices xD

I was planning on shipping stuff to my brother to test the length of time etc, but hes not back yet(another 3 weeks till hes back in Cali). You can ship this one if you want to, since usps didn't send me my stuff yet xD


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