[jlieu]

Just wondering if it is common to 'Fire Reds' that get this much darker over time.

Bad Quality Comparison Photo...

Different perspective...

Lately, she seems to have been getting this 'faded' pattern going on as well. It looks to be around the head and runs down the top back (to tail). It is not clear though.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Yes, as they age, they tend to get darker.

The stripe - or "racing strip" - is also a characteristic of aging in Neos.

 

[ThatGuyWithTheFish]

Yes, as they age, they tend to get darker.

The stripe - or "racing strip" - is also a characteristic of aging in Neos.

Really? Because they seem to go away with molts.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Yep.

My oldest Neo females often have solid white stripes down their backs.

 

[auban]

its interesting... do all of them get that color as they age, or only a few? it could be an impurity in the blood line if only certain ones get dark while others stay get stay bright.

 

[Lkittredge]

Hold are yours, are they all around the same age?

 

[sbarbee54]

Yup age does it I have a bunch about 35-40 that look like that they are about to cycle out and let the others be the old and wise of the group. These will be about 18 months old


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[jlieu]

Ah, good to know. Thanks for the heads-up!

The two are of different age. As they correctly commented, the maroon/darker red female is the oldest of the group. She was one of the original I first received ~6 months ago. I was not 100% sure of the coloration/racing stripes, so I figured I'd ask some of the more experienced shrimp gurus about it...

 

[auban]

the chromatophores grow longer and longer as they get older, so that makes sense. for it to be that dark they have to have some seriously thick/long branches. cool!

from looking at my shrimp and their molts, i believe that the "racing stripe" is crystallized quanine in the shell. in other crustaceans, it is produced to help reflect UV. since it gets concentrated under the shell, it goes away with each molt.

 

[azjenny]

I don't find that the racing stripe goes away completely with a molt. I definitely find that I can still see the stripe after. I don't have that many oranges in my tank and can tell the adults apart well enough to distinguish. And they seem to keep their stripes. I'll try to notice if it seems to fade somewhat after a molt.

 

[morgan]

Most my high grade sakuras get the stripes. I keep them well away from my fire reds ,which never show that stripe.

 

[Soothing Shrimp]

Lots of cherries are born with stripes showing by juvie age. Also, molting won't get rid of stripe as shown best by neon yellows.

 

[auban]

the stripe fades in my cherries after each molt. its not for very long, but they do fade. it would make sense for them to develop the stripe down the back, since it would shield the eggs and the vital organs from ultraviolet. i noticed that my shrimp kept in a tank with a lot of UV produce a much more visible stripe than my shrimp kept in a tank with normal lighting. ill see if i can find another molt and take some pictures of it under the microscope. the white stripes look like little sparkling granules when you look close enough.