Black Red Cherry Shrimp

Feb 27, 2009
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#1
Before I moved from Iowa to Texas, I had 8 seperate aquariums. In Texas, I had to settle for one tank so combined all I had into one tank (All of my fish/inverts can live together, were just seperated to breed them).

When I moved, I decided to cut down on the number of Neocaridina heteropoda var. Cherry (Red Cherry Shrimp). I kept only 5 berried really red females and 3 males that showed some red coloration, the rest I sold to a LFS before the move.

Fast forward three+ months.

One of my orignal very red females was partially BLACK when I arrived in Texas. I had thought it was a sign of stress, but the color has not changed except to spread to her whole body. She released her babies about a week later, they are fine and growing well. She's now carrying again. I've not seen any change to her black coloration, other than it seems deeper black (she also has a white stripe down her spine). None of her offspring have shown that color, but in looking at her current brood, it seems that a few are black (or really really dark red).

She was born in my aquarium about 6-8 months before the move, I've never had any shirmp but the Red Cherry Shrimp, so I'm confident its not another species. She's healthy, eats well, breeds with males in the tank, etc. She even will chase off rasbora that are crowding her at an algae wafer!

Has anyone else seen this in Neocaridina heteropod?
 

Newman

Elite Fish
Sep 22, 2009
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#2
definitely never seen a black cherry shrimp before. any clear pics or does she hide all the time like most?

one thing i can think of is that shrimp can change their chromatophores size which results in a color change but in the case of cherry shrimp its usually just paler red - pink or maybe deeper red depending on how they feel. black is just bizzare lol. is she deep black? or more like a wild type brown color but darker, almost gray-black? It may have been stress but find out if her babies turn out allright or black.

When i got my juvenile crystal red shrimp a few months ago some turned blue during shipping lol. they were white red and dark blue for a while but then as they grew up the blue turned to dark red. It may have something to do with stress like you mentioned. that is what i think.
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#3
black_shrimp5.jpg black_shrimp4.jpg

Best shots I can get of her. She's out in the open a lot, I'm not a very good photographer though, and she's in a good algae filled tank. There is a 'normal' colored juvie (her offspring from early April) to her right in the photos.

Her offspring have been normal. The brood she is still carrying show a few that look really dark. I'm kinda hoping they will be black. Kinda cool looking to me.
 

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Feb 27, 2009
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#6
I found this article interesting.

Petshrimp.com -- All about shrimp

It doesn't address the issue of the ADULT red colored red-cherry shrimp changing color to black though. When I released her into the tank here in Texas back in April, she had the bottom 2/3 of her tail only colored black. I had feared an injury or disease had caused the change, but she's active, eats well, and continues to breed. She is an oddity to me.
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#10
mine is actually under the only piece of driftwood in the tank. and the colors match perfectly with the driftwood. the plot thickens.
Ms. Ebony (hubby named her) is still under the drift wood, but ventures out to drag a piece of an algae waffer. So far, she's still carrying her young. But as far as matching the driftwood, no way! She's under the edge of a 'blonde' colored piece of wood, stands out like a sore thumb!
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#12
She released her babies last week and none look black like her right now. She molted last night, the molt is clear like any other shrimp in the tank, and now she's hiding again under her favorite light tan driftwood piece. Still eating, still active. She is an odd one.