# Help with shrimp identification



## Zongyi (Aug 1, 2005)

I picked up some shrimps at a store today. The people there said they were rainbow shrimp. The internet didn't give me a lot of information on these guys and they looked a bit different than the pictures on the net. The shrimps in the store came in a variety of colors like blue, red, white, brown and green.

Here are a few crude pictures:

































The color that I got is really red, but I cannot say its a cherry shrimp since there are a variety of other colors. It does resemble a cherry shrimp from the markings on its bodies. If you ever see a red cherry shrimp, you will see some woodlike lines on its body. This line pattern is also on my shrimp. The shrimp does not have fans, so it is not a filter feeder. It seems to be an efficient algea eater; I can see it pulling algea from a algea rock I have put in the tank. The claws are in the shape as a bumble bee shrimp.

Lastly, I'm not sure but I swear these shrimps changed color on me. I am sure or at least partially sure that I bought 2 red ones and one blue one, but now I see 2 red ones and one faintly colored one. Also, I distinctivly remeber that one red one had a very strikeing yellow tail. Now the shrimp is all red. I think I'm just going nuts  .

Any help is appreaciated. Thanks.


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## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

I've seen these labeled as Rainbow Shrimp and as Asst. Algae Eating Shrimp. They seem to be a wild type of Neocardina sp or Cardina sp. I think you will find them to be industrious and eat plenty of algae as well as reproduce easily. The going rate in this area is $1.99ea or 6/$9.99.


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## Zongyi (Aug 1, 2005)

Thanks for the info. I got some more and now I have 12 in total (if no one died that is, I can't really count since they hide behind the sponge filter). I hope to breed them, but they are not big enough yet. I got them for $4 for every 3 shrimps, but it there was 20% off so the original price was $5. So at least I didn't get ripped off at the store, in addition prices are Canadian  .


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