Amano AKA Yamato Shrimp (Caridina multidentata), CAPTIVE-BRED!

We are very excited to now offer EXTREMELY rare, captive-bred specimens of this popular, hardy, long-lived species!

The Amano Shrimp (Caridina multidentata), also known as the Yamato Shrimp, is one of the most popular and durable freshwater aquarium species.  It is a relatively larger shrimp than the many popular dwarf shrimp species and it also typically lives a much longer lifespan.  This species is an amphidromous “low form” spawner. When fry are born, they are carried out to sea from the freshwater habitats of the parents. The fry exist in a pelagic/planktonic state in brackish or fully marine water. As they mature, they return to freshwater and continue this cycle with future generations. This process was once thought to be impossible (or at least impractical at a commercial level) to replicate for captive/tank breeding, but a very few breeders have recently been successful in rearing this species!

The Amano Shrimp, like most shrimp, lives in large colonies and spends most of its time foraging for food.  It is possibly the most voracious eater of algae in the aquarium and is not only a very active, outgoing species, but it is also very useful as a solution to fighting algae issues.  It aggressively feeds on most varieties of biofilm and algae and, in appropriate numbers, will often eradicate even the most persistent algae growth on plants and other aquarium decorations.  It is also very effective in eating decaying plant matter, such as shed leaves and needles of aquarium plants.  However, it does not bother or damage live ornamental plants.

This shrimp is a scavenger and is very useful in planted and nano aquariums.  The bulk of its diet is biofilm, algae, and decaying plant matter so it will work diligently to clean up the waste in any aquarium.  It feeds constantly, so it displays constant activity.  In a less mature aquarium, it should be fed high quality flake and mini pellet dry foods with high algae/spirulina/plant content.