Bamboo Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) Fish Species Profile
Bamboo Shrimp make an unusual addition to a community aquarium and are a favourite amongst shrimp fans.
They are quite friendly and thrive better in groups as they can become a little territorial with each other if numbers are low.
Instead of claws like your typical shrimp, they have evolved special fan-like attachments with hooks located on the fans which the shrimp use to filter microscopic particles of food from the flowing water.
The Bamboo Shrimps colouring can differ from brown, tan, sandy, yellow or greenish depending on their mood, where they were caught, its diet, their shedding process, and what plants are prevailing in the tank. They also display thin, tan stripes down their sides and a thick white or light yellow line along their back.
Good filtration, stable and clean water conditions, along with proper water circulation is a must for this species.
| Scientific Name | Atyopsis moluccensis |
|---|---|
| Other Names | Wood shrimp, Singapore flower shrimp, Asian filter shrimp, Asian feeder shrimp |
| Family | Atyidae |
| Genus | Atyopsis |
| Origins | Southeast Asia |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom - Middle |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 2 - 3 years |
| Maximum Size | up to 7.6 cm |
| Water Type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 73 - 84 ℉ (22.8 - 28.9 ℃) |
| PH | 6.5 - 7.5 |
| GH | 5 - 10 |
| KH | 3-10 |
Origins
Bamboo shrimp are native to Bali, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumatera, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand in Indonesia, South East Asia.
They inhabit fast-moving rivers and streams with a mighty flow of current.
The shrimp station themselves in stretches of high flow waters clasping to rocks and tree roots.
Diet
The bamboo shrimps prefer to eat algae, bacteria and other microscopic life as it floats past.
If you see them scavenging around in the substrate, it means they are not getting enough food. At this point, you need to intervene by feeding the shrimp with brine shrimp, algae powder or powdered foods.
Sexing the Bamboo Shrimp
The way to differentiate males from females besides the fact that males are generally larger is their legs.
While females have all three pairs close to the same size, males forelegs are much larger than the other two pairs and appear to be adorned with small spikes.
Breeding the Bamboo Shrimp
Breeding Bamboo Shrimp is very challenging. Even though you will see the females carrying eggs, developing the little transparent larvae is very challenging as they require brackish water to change into shrimplets.
To this present day, there are no reports of successful captive breeding of Bamboo shrimp. All Bamboo shrimp sold in the aquarium trade are wild-caught.
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