Cherry Shrimp

The mood can affect the colour

The cherry shrimp belongs to the Decapoda (“ten feet”) order of crustaceans. Its colour varies from dark red to brownish red depending on its genes and diet, but the colour is also affected by the shrimp’s mood. In the wild, its colour is usually a greenish brown, but the aquarium trade deals mostly in red colour variants. The shrimp usually lives in small schools in freshwater – rivers and small lakes.

The cherry shrimp hides from predators in fine-leaved aquatic plants. The shrimp is active during the day and moults regularly. After moulting, the shrimp often eats its old shell in order to absorb important minerals that will help it to create the new shell.  

Females release pheromones into the water

The female is larger than the male and has a more powerful tail so that she can carry the eggs. She releases pheromones into the water when the eggs are ready to be fertilised. She carries 30–50 eggs under her tail for a few weeks. The fry are small but fully developed when the eggs hatch.

The cherry shrimp is a popular aquarium species that is easy to maintain.