Type — Arthropoda.
Subtype — Crustacea.
Class — Malacostraca.
Order — Decapoda.
Superfamily — Atyoidea
Family — Atyidae.
Genus Caridina — Caridina.
— Caridina hodgarti [Kemp, 1913] — Long nose shrimp. “Nashorn garnelen”, “Long nose shrimp”, “Green Nose shrimp”, “Green Rhino shrimp”, “Green Rocket”. India. 3.3 cm. Shrimp with a long rostrum. Variable coloration ranging from lemon yellow, green, or orange. Some body zones are transparent. Like Caridina gracilirostris, it has an elongated nose and a raised middle back.
Gregarious, preferably kept in groups of 6 or more. This shrimp is relatively timid, but they are good jumpers and need plenty of hiding places and rich vegetation. The green color of the shrimp looks best on a very dark substrate. They do not like strong water currents. Temperature 24-28°C; pH 6.5-7.5; gH 8-15°.
— Caridina meridionalis [L Wang, Liang & F Li, 2008] — Hongkong camouflage shrimp. Synonym: Paracaridina meridionalis. “Camouflage Tiger”, “Bumble bee”, “Hongkong shrimp”, “Larry shrimp”. China. Females 3.2 cm, males 2.5 cm. Highly variable in color and body pattern. Similar to bee shrimp, but with brown stripes on a white background.
Almost transparent with a characteristic striped tiger shrimp pattern, but darker and richer colors. Possible color range from reddish, blue, black, to beige. Coloration can also change depending on mood, temperature, and environment.
Keep in a group of at least 10 shrimp, as they are social animals. Water should be soft and acidic, preferably filtered through peat. Oxygen content should be high, and the temperature quite low. They reach sexual maturity at 4 months. They do not reproduce in large numbers like Neocaridina species. The female carries up to 30 eggs for 4-6 weeks. They live from 1.5 to 2 years. Optimal temperature 18-24°C, pH 6.5; dH 8-20°.
Identification: Camouflage shrimp — Caridina meridionalis.
— Caridina nanaoensis [Cai & N. K. Ng, 1999]. “Red Tail shrimp”. 2.5 cm. China. The base body background is transparent beige, with several rusty-black lines. The abdominal cavity is orange-red. Some specimens have more dots or dashes on the sides of the abdomen. Females are larger than males. Gregarious, often seen out in the open during the day looking for food. Happily eats green algae and microscopic animals, as well as any fish food.
Likes oak leaves and dried nettle leaves, leaving only the veins behind. Water should be slightly acidic, clean, and rich in oxygen. Breeding is easy; fertilization, incubation, and development of the shrimp take place in fresh water. Produces 20-40 small shrimp about once a month. Live up to 18 months. pH 6.0-7.0; dH 5-10°; Temperature 15-22°C, sensitive to temperatures above 22°C.
— Caridina thambipillai [Johnson, 1961] — Mandarin shrimp, Orange dwarf shrimp. Synonym: Caridina propinqua. “Orange Sunkist shrimp”, “Mandarin shrimp”, “Tangerine Shrimp”, “Caridina sp. Orange Borneo”, “Fanta Shrimp”, “Orange Soda Shrimp”. Southeast Asia, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka. 2.5 cm, males are smaller. Mandarin shrimp are highly variable in color – from pale yellow to saturated orange, and the color can change arbitrarily. Color intensity may change after molting or depending on environmental changes.
Thus, at first they are bright orange, then pale orange, gray-orange, and sometimes the orange color is barely noticeable. However, after the next molt, the shrimp become bright orange again. There are dark orange shrimp with a dorsal stripe, pale orange shrimp with green spots on the abdomen and a black dorsal stripe with a triangle at the highest point.
The body is transparent, rich orange in color, and speckled with red dots. Larger red or brown dots are visible on the third abdominal segment. Females have a more intense orange color. They differ from Neocaridina davidi (heteropoda) var. Orange, which have well-colored legs in addition to the body. The probability that this turns out to be a yellow form of cherry shrimp is close to zero, since this is a novelty and they are expensive.
Peaceful, spends most of its time moving between plants or along the substrate in search of food. Gregarious, feel more comfortable in large groups. Prefers soft, acidic water. Frequent water changes are a necessity for this species. Water temperature 20-25°C, pH 6.2-7.8, gH 4-6°.
An omnivorous shrimp, it is necessary to arrange fasting days for a couple of days, which helps clean their digestive system and also maintain clean water in the aquarium. They prefer “vegetarian” food: algae, decaying parts of aquarium plants, blanched zucchini, spinach. They happily graze on Java moss. Compatible with any other shrimp, mandarins do not crossbreed with anyone because the larvae require brackish water for development. They live about 2 years.
Caridina serrata, “Chinese Zebra shrimp”, “Tupfel”, Caridina serratirostris.
Caridina brachydactyla, breviata, brevicarpalis, fernandoi, gracilirostris. 
