Taiwanese Bamboo Shrimp
Australatya obscura
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 4–6.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
Species profile
Rudolph Shrimp
Gracidina gracilirostris
Common names: Rudolph Shrimp, Red Nose Shrimp, Pinocchio Shrimp, Red-Nosed Shrimp
Recognized speciesOther Shrimp
Adult size
Up to 4.5 cm
Typical adult length 3–4.5 cm.
Up to 4.5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- Mature planted aquarium setups
- Intermediate shrimp keepers
- Peaceful nano aquariums
Think carefully if
- The aquarium contains shrimp-eating fish
- The tank is newly cycled
- Water conditions change frequently
A slender red-nosed shrimp now classified as Gracidina gracilirostris and known for its long red rostrum.
Appearance and Identification
Slender, mostly translucent shrimp with a long narrow rostrum carrying conspicuous red pigmentation. Additional red markings may appear along the body and tail.
Rudolph Shrimp is not a Neocaridina colour line. It is the species now accepted as Gracidina gracilirostris, formerly Caridina gracilirostris. Distinguish it from other long-rostrum shrimp using morphology and provenance.
Females are generally larger and deeper-bodied. The red rostrum is present in both sexes and is not a reliable sex marker.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 180–230 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 50–75 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 45 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 60 cm
- Minimum group size
- 6
- Recommended group size
- 10
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Use a mature, covered aquarium with stable water, open grazing areas, plants, oxygenation, and secure filter intakes.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Peaceful, active grazer that moves across plants, substrate, and hardscape in search of algae, biofilm, and fine foods.
Best kept in a peaceful group with non-predatory tankmates.
Not territorial.
Avoid aggressive fish and strong predators. Small shrimplets are not produced directly in normal freshwater aquariums.
Water Parameters
Keep in clean, oxygenated freshwater with moderate mineral content. Captive reproduction is difficult because larval development generally requires brackish water.
Parameter caveat
Avoid abrupt acclimation changes. Successful larval rearing requires a dedicated salinity transition rather than ordinary freshwater care.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Algae Grazer, Detritivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Mature biofilmCore natural grazing resource.
- Fine complete shrimp foodFeed sparingly and remove excess.
- Algae-based foodUseful supplement where natural grazing is limited.
Omnivorous grazer that consumes biofilm, algae, detritus, and fine prepared foods.
Maintain continuous natural grazing surfaces and avoid heavy feeding.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Brackish Larval Stage, Larval Development
- Breeding difficulty
- Very difficult
- Breeding temperature
- 25 °C
- Breeding pH
- 7.2
- Brood or egg count
- Numerous small eggs
- Incubation
- 28 days
- Parental care
- Maternal care
- Baby foods
- Microscopic suspended larval foodLarvae require specialized feeding and salinity management.
Produces free-swimming larvae rather than miniature benthic shrimplets. Successful captive rearing generally requires specialized brackish or marine-phase larval care followed by transition back to freshwater.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Asia, Australia, India, Indo-Pacific, Indonesia, Madagascar, Palau, Philippines, Thailand
- Natural habitat
- Estuary, Freshwater Stream, Mangrove
- Aquarium contexts
- Freshwater Community, Planted Tank, Shrimp Tank
- Audience level
- Advanced, Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Gracidina
- Family
- Atyidae
- Species group
- Other Shrimp
- Previous scientific names
- Caridina gracilirostris, Former generic combination widely used in aquarium and scientific literature before the 2026 genus revision.
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Amazon Zebra Shrimp
Euryrhynchus amazoniensis
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 1.5–3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 30 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Bamboo Shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 6–9 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Ninja Shrimp
Marosina serratirostris
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 2–3.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C