I don't have pics, but im sure images.google.com would help
Fish Eating Ghost Shrimp Pics please
Could someone put up comparative pictures of the machobrachium ghost shrimp that eat fish and the peaceful ghost shrimp (paelodomus or something) that are just scavengers? If no pics available, what are the characteristics of each? I may have a fish eating ghost shrimp eating my neons (I have a thread on that in the fish forum).
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I couldn't find anything on the machrobrachium shrimp. Maybe I spelled it wrong? But basically, I'm looking for a comparative anatomy lesson from the experts. Or do I have it completely wrong and the ghost shrimp that is supposed to be a peaceful scavenger is the same as the neon tetra terror?
There are over 200 species of Macrobrachium -- the genus name means "large/long-arm" -- occurring throughout the warm parts of the world (with some species extending as far north as the Ohio River or southern Siberia). These range from the tiny and translucent to the lobster-like.
Photos of Macrobrachium can be viewed here and here.
"Ghost shrimp" usually refers to several species of Palaemonetes, a genus that is closely related to Macrobrachium.
Visit the second link above or this page (scroll down to "glass shrimp") to get a sense for what Palaemonetes tend to look like.
Most Macrobrachium closely resemble ghost shrimp as juveniles, and some species retain the resemblance into adulthood. Size and coloration are the best at-a-glance factors: anything much over 2 inches having noticeable stripes or bands is almost certainly a Macrobrachium. If your shrimp are actively catching and consuming neon tetras, this is pretty much guaranteed.
Young Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Macrobrachium lanchesteri or something close to it are the most common ghost shrimp contaminants. This being said, a photo would help reach a more specific ID.
Photos of Macrobrachium can be viewed here and here.
"Ghost shrimp" usually refers to several species of Palaemonetes, a genus that is closely related to Macrobrachium.
Visit the second link above or this page (scroll down to "glass shrimp") to get a sense for what Palaemonetes tend to look like.
Most Macrobrachium closely resemble ghost shrimp as juveniles, and some species retain the resemblance into adulthood. Size and coloration are the best at-a-glance factors: anything much over 2 inches having noticeable stripes or bands is almost certainly a Macrobrachium. If your shrimp are actively catching and consuming neon tetras, this is pretty much guaranteed.
Young Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Macrobrachium lanchesteri or something close to it are the most common ghost shrimp contaminants. This being said, a photo would help reach a more specific ID.
Many shrimp pics at http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk/Shrimp.htm?Longarm.htm~mainFrame
I happened to get one Indian longarm shrimp sold as a ghost shrimp. He is one of the few peaceful longarm shrimp, from what I hear about longarms. While he will eat dead RCS in the tank he will not attack live food. I have also had a baby guppy in there with him for 6 weeks and the guppy is still alive and well.
I happened to get one Indian longarm shrimp sold as a ghost shrimp. He is one of the few peaceful longarm shrimp, from what I hear about longarms. While he will eat dead RCS in the tank he will not attack live food. I have also had a baby guppy in there with him for 6 weeks and the guppy is still alive and well.
Thanks for the links! I'm a terrible photographer, but my ghost shrimp look nothing like the macrobrachia and everything like the paleo-whatever, so I shall stop blaming my ghost shrimp for my neon tetra deaths. It's probably just neon tetras croaking like they often do and then getting scavenged by my crack clean up crew in the night. Anyway, I moved my remaining neons to a smaller tank with fewer tankmates and they seem to be doing all right (no ghost shrimp--long armed or otherwise--in their new tank also, just in case!).
Neon tetras are very sensitive, like softer water (pH 6.5 or so), and die easily. Try cardinal tetras, which look almost the same, and are much more hardy.
And twice as expensive! :eek5: Point taken, however.
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