Can anyone tell me what kind of shrimp is this?

[HenryC]

Local fish shop told me it was a ghost shrimp... but he's massive. Close to 4 inches. Do ghost shrimp really get that big? It was sold cheap, for just $2 so I'm guessing it's nothing special, but still, I had never seen such massive shrimps in the hobby, outside of saltwater!
 

 

[Guppysnail]

That sure looks like a ghost shrimp. They do get bigger than neocaridina.  I’m not 100% sure but I think they can get close to 2 inches. 

[Keeg]

On 8/26/2021 at 2:21 AM, Guppysnail said:

That sure looks like a ghost shrimp. They do get bigger than neocaridina.  I’m not 100% sure but I think they can get close to 2 inches. 

I was thinking ghost as well because of the black lines on the underside, but im also thinking a clear bamboo shrimp or a whisker shrimp because they can also grow larger than ghosts 

[Biotope Biologist]

That's because that's not a "ghost shrimp" Palaemonetes paludosus. That's a river prawn of some sort. Could be a riceland prawn Macrobrachium lanchestri or Macrobrachium inflatum. However, there are 240 species in the Macrobrachium genus and just about all of them are used in freshwater markets as a food.

 

They commonly get lumped in with ghost shrimp orders and must be seperated as they are oppurtunistic predators.

[HenryC]

On 8/26/2021 at 7:07 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

That's because that's not a "ghost shrimp" Palaemonetes paludosus. That's a river prawn of some sort. Could be a riceland prawn Macrobrachium lanchestri or Macrobrachium inflatum. However, there are 240 species in the Macrobrachium genus and just about all of them are used in freshwater markets as a food.

 

They commonly get lumped in with ghost shrimp orders and must be seperated as they are oppurtunistic predators.

Oh wow do you think my fish are in danger? The smallest I have are harlequin rasboras, everything else is fairly chunky (red eye tetras, angelfish, electric blue acaras, etc.)

[Biotope Biologist]

I think your fish are in danger. Even when well fed they seem to hunt for the sport of it. And they can become territorial as adults.

[Guppysnail]

On 8/26/2021 at 10:57 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

I think your fish are in danger. Even when well fed they seem to hunt for the sport of it. And they can become territorial as adults.

Is this why some people say ghost shrimp are peaceful and others say predator due to the mislabeling? I almost got ghost shrimp along time ago but read so many predator accounts I didn’t. Or are ghost predatory too?

[Biotope Biologist]

On 8/26/2021 at 8:20 AM, Guppysnail said:

Is this why some people say ghost shrimp are peaceful and others say predator due to the mislabeling? I almost got ghost shrimp along time ago but read so many predator accounts I didn’t. Or are ghost predatory too?

I would imagine. It's also why common names can be misleading and we in the scientific world like to stick to scientific nomenclature. It isn't, for the most part, to be pretentious 😋

 

Palaemonetes paludosus or what are commonly referred to as ghost shrimp max out at just under 2" and are mostly diatom and algae eaters. Although they do enjoy a copepod or black worm when they can! They are for the most part not predators.

[Guppysnail]

On 8/26/2021 at 11:31 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

I would imagine. It's also why common names can be misleading and we in the scientific world like to stick to scientific nomenclature. It isn't, for the most part, to be pretentious 😋

 

Palaemonetes paludosus or what are commonly referred to as ghost shrimp max out at just under 2" and are mostly diatom and algae eaters. Although they do enjoy a copepod or black worm when they can! They are for the most part not predators.

Your fancy names make them sound so exotic 😍 I’m lucky to remember my own name most days 🤣

[DSH OUTDOORS]

I would go with a Whisker Shrimp/Indian Whisker Shrimp (Macrobrachium Lamarrie).  I have had 6 in a 4 breeder for months now with Platy, Guppy, their fry, and cory's. 

Are they jerks when it comes to grabbing food and running away with it? YES

Have I noticed anything missing in my tank since having them in there? NO

They are fun to watch and are constantly sifting/cleaning.