Caridina

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Caridina

Caridina serratirostris

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Caridea
Superfamily:	Atyoidea
Family:	Atyidae
Genus:	Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837

Species

See text.

Caridina is a genus of fresh-water atyid shrimps originating from Taiwan. They are widely found in tropical or subtropical water currents in East Asia. They are filter-feeders, collector-gatherers and omnivorous scavengers. They range from 0.9 - 9.8 mm (C. cantonensis) to 1.2 - 7.4 mm (C. serrata) in carapace length.

1 Food use
2 Aquarium use
3 Species
4 External links

[edit] Food use

Caridina species are all edible, and especially C. japonica is exported.

[edit] Aquarium use

Due to their algae eating ability and non-aggressive manner, Caridina is also widely sought after in planted/natural aquariums.

In the aquarium trade, the red and white banded variety is called the crystal red shrimp or red bee shrimp, while the black and while banded variety is called the diamond shrimp or black zebra shrimp.

The wild forms have less distinct banding, and are simple called bee shrimp or bumble bee shrimp. Wild Caridina are not graded and those available in the market are all wild caught.