Ninja Shrimp
Marosina serratirostris
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 2–3.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Species profile
Bamboo Shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
Common names: Bamboo Shrimp, Wood Shrimp, Asian Filter Shrimp, Singapore Flower Shrimp
Recognized speciesFreshwater Shrimp
Adult size
Up to 9 cm
Typical adult length 6–9 cm.
Up to 9 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- Mature planted aquarium setups
- Intermediate shrimp keepers
Think carefully if
- The tank is newly cycled
- Water conditions change frequently
A large, peaceful Southeast Asian fan shrimp that feeds by filtering fine suspended particles from strong, oxygen-rich current.
Appearance and Identification
A robust fan shrimp with colour ranging from tan and rusty brown to greenish or reddish shades. Many individuals show a pale dorsal stripe or patterned flanks. The front limbs end in feathered fans used to catch suspended food.
Frequently confused with Atyopsis spinipes in the aquarium trade. Reliable separation requires examination of the rostrum and other morphological details; A. moluccensis typically has more ventral rostral teeth.
Adult males usually develop a much thicker first pair of walking legs and may grow larger. Mature females have a broader abdomen for carrying eggs.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 320–400 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 75–125 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 80 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 60 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 3
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- High
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Provide a mature aquarium with strong, oxygen-rich current and elevated perches directly in the flow. Wood, rounded rocks, caves, and sheltered molting areas are important. A new or overly sterile tank can lead to starvation.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Peaceful and non-predatory. It normally sits on a rock, root, or filter outlet facing the current and repeatedly sweeps its feeding fans through the water.
Can be kept alone or in a small group. Multiple specimens need several well-fed current stations so one shrimp does not monopolize the best perch.
Not strongly territorial, although individuals may compete for the most useful feeding position when suitable current-facing perches are limited.
Suitable for peaceful community aquariums with fish that will not nip the fans or attack a molting shrimp. Avoid large cichlids, puffers, crayfish, crabs, and other aggressive or predatory tank mates.
Water Parameters
Keep in a mature, well-oxygenated aquarium with steady current and suspended fine foods. Avoid rapid parameter changes and copper exposure.
Parameter caveat
Avoid abrupt water changes and copper-based medication. Protect the shrimp from filter intakes and ensure that strong flow does not remove all suspended food.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Detritivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Powdered algae-based foodMix a tiny amount with aquarium water and release it upstream from the shrimp's feeding perch.
- Fine powdered shrimp or fry foodUse a small dose that remains suspended without causing a rise in ammonia or bacterial clouding.
An obligate suspension feeder that captures microscopic algae, plankton, fine detritus, and powdered foods from moving water. Visible substrate sifting often indicates that too little suspended food is reaching the fans.
Do not place dry powder directly onto the shrimp. Disperse food into the current. A mature aquarium supplies background microorganisms, but most captive tanks still need careful supplemental feeding.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Layer
- Breeding difficulty
- Difficult
- Brood or egg count
- Large brood of numerous small eggs
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Cultured microalgae and fine marine larval foodLarval feeding requires a dedicated saline system and careful control of food density and water quality.
Adults reproduce in freshwater, but the planktonic larvae naturally develop downstream in brackish or marine water before returning upstream as juveniles. Successful captive breeding requires a separate larval system with controlled salinity, microscopic foods, and a gradual return to freshwater.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand
- Natural habitat
- Fast Stream
- Aquarium contexts
- Freshwater Aquarium, Shrimp Tank
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Atyopsis
- Family
- Atyidae
- Species group
- Freshwater Shrimp, Invertebrates, Other Shrimp
- Previous scientific names
- Atya moluccensis, Original historical combination; the accepted placement is Atyopsis moluccensis., Atya lineolata, Historical synonym now accepted under Atyopsis moluccensis., Atya gustavi, Historical synonym now accepted under Atyopsis moluccensis.
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Red Nose Shrimp
Gracidina gracilirostris
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 3–4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 50 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Rudolph Shrimp
Gracidina gracilirostris
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 3–4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 45 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Taiwanese Bamboo Shrimp
Australatya obscura
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 4–6.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C