Caridina japonica

Caridina japonica

Today we do not come to talk about a fish itself, but we will talk about a highly valued and well-known species. It's about the Caridina japonica. It is a species of freshwater prawn in high demand and famous both for its ornamental value and its usefulness in controlling filamentous algae. It belongs to the Atyidae family and is of Japanese origin.

Would you like to know all the characteristics, way of life and reasons why it is so in demand? You just have to keep reading 🙂

Key features

Main characteristics of caridina japonica

This species of freshwater prawn can be found in shallow waters of ponds and lagoons. They can live in sweet environments, but also tolerate higher salinity. Its natural habitat is in the Yamato region, although some populations can be found in the locations of Cora and Taiwan.

Due to its great fame in the Takashi Amano water park for its landscaping properties, its use in aquariums has spread. It is commonly known as Amano shrimp or prawn.

Speaking of its morphology, we can say that its body it is similar to the rest of prawns both marine and freshwater. It has a cephalothorax with a white stripe that ends on the tail. This is perhaps the most distinctive part of the prawn. In the part of the head we find all the organs that are vital for the survival of the animal. In this area we find four pairs of legs to use to move.

The skeleton receives the exoskeleton name and under it we locate the abdomen and its muscles. In this place where he has a kind of skirt that he uses for swimming. Its tail has distinctive black and white dots and is made up of Pleopods. These elements are used to change direction abruptly when swimming and being chased by a predator.

La Caridina japonica it has the majority of its transparent body. Its coloration is capable of varying as a consequence of its type of diet. The difference between males and females lies in the spots that decorate it. While the females have their spots longitudinally, the males have them spread out in no apparent order.

Needs and your environment

Caridina japonica in aquariums

If we talk about its size, we can say that it reaches a size of about 6 centimeters in females and only 3 cm in males. This makes it stand out from other Caridina species. For example, in the species caridina cantonensis, the specimens reach sizes of up to 9 cm. The origin of these animals is from China and their common spots are smaller.

One of the factors to take into account to keep the Caridina japonica it is their feeding phase in the aquarium. He should not be given a lot of food at once, rather, it should be done slowly. In addition, it is vitally important to feed them with the light off to reduce stress in these animals.

They are not usually aggressive animals so they can be kept in small groups. In this way we will be making them lose their natural shyness. If we stress them too much and don't let them overcome their shyness, we won't be able to barely see them. They are animals that work at night, although if the light is not very strong, they will also be active during the day.

Food

Caridina japonica eating filamentous algae

A vegetable supplement plays a leading role in your diet. It is a filamentous algae and not the typical black or brush algae. It is generally tolerant of other plants if it does not have food. They have also been found feeding on Riccia. If they are hungry they can eat anything they find. It has even been seen eating dead animals and larvae. de peces.

In aquariums, their feeding must be subject to their effectiveness as a filamentous algae controller.

One of the most important aspects to take into account if we decide on this species is the importance of choosing good aquarium mates. These shrimp are not good companions de peces large with aggressive character. If we place them with them, they will not hesitate to eat them as food.

Reproduction of the Caridina japonica

Caridina japonica care

As for its reproduction, it is perfectly viable in captivity. We must take extreme caution to keep the female in another aquarium before the eggs hatch. Otherwise, the rest of the fish in the tank will have a food rich in protein. They reach sexual maturity after 5 months of life. It is possible to detect that the female is pregnant if her belly turns dark. This is the signal that tells us that the eggs are beginning to form.

Depending on the water temperature, the hatching of Eggs take an average of 4 to 6 weeks. Adult prawns can live perfectly in fresh water. However, the larvae need seawater in the beginning for their development. The ideal proportion of salt is 30 grams for every liter of water. When they reach a size greater than five millimeters, they must be prepared to transfer to fresh water. To do this, water is added little by little to reduce the amount of salt. Larvae should never be transferred suddenly from salt to fresh water.

The feeding of the Caridina japonica hatchlings is based on live or commercial plankton. They can also be fed brine shrimp or cypclop eeze nauplii. Once they have grown above 1,5 centimeters they can be incorporated into the general aquarium with their companions. If it is important that the other fish are not large or they will end up eating them.

Their life expectancy is close to 3 years although it does not usually exceed the two in captivity.

As you can see, Caridina japonica is a prawn that is highly demanded by all those who love aquariums. Not only because of its filamentous algae control function, but because it adds a different beauty to the aquarium where it is located. And you, have you ever thought about having one of these?


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