Type — Arthropoda.
Subtype — Crustacea.
Class — Malacostraca.
Order — Decapoda.
Superfamily — Atyoidea
Family — Atyidae.
Genus Caridina — Caridina.
— Caridina serrata [Stimpson, 1860] — Tangerine Tiger Shrimp. “Tangerine Tiger”. Originates from Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, China, Japan. 2.5-4 cm. The body is gray-brown or reddish-brown, partially transparent. The coloration of this species consists of irregular white and dark bands of varying thickness alternating along the entire back, with dark bands usually wider than white ones. The head area is usually darker. Color tone can vary significantly depending on water parameters, nutrition, etc. With age, they become darker and more uniformly colored. Females are slightly larger than males.
An aquarium with an abundance of plants, driftwood, and moss-covered stones; they like to hide during the day. A peaceful species; in small numbers, the shrimps are timid, but as the group increases, they become more active and dominant relative to smaller shrimps. They are more active at night, although throughout the day they do not stop feeding on the bottom and plants. They use food leftovers, algae, and decomposed Indian almond tree leaves.
Ideal living conditions for them are as follows: T 23-25°C, pH 6.0-7.0, dH 6-12°, clear water free of dissolved organics, regularly changed, and well-aerated. Soft water is preferred, but they adapt to harder water. Sensitive to environmental changes. Reproduction of this species is somewhat difficult; aquarium parameter stability, water purity, and the absence of pollutants are important. At a temperature of 25°C, neutral or slightly alkaline pH, the eggs develop within three weeks. Their lifespan limit is 12-15 months, of which, by the way, almost half is the maturation period.
— Caridina serrata “Chinese Zebra shrimp” — Chinese Zebra Shrimp. Southern China. 2.5-3.5 cm. The body is covered with irregular stripes of various thicknesses in black, yellow, and white, alternating along the back. Dark stripes are usually thicker than light ones. The surface of the head often has a darker coloration. Six bright white stripes make this shrimp a very attractive addition to the aquarium. Depending on water parameters and feeding habits, the body color tone can vary significantly.
Keeping conditions are the same as for Bee Shrimp. These animals are nocturnal and constantly hide during the day. However, even during the day, they constantly keep the aquarium clean by grazing on food leftovers and algae fouling at the bottom and on plants. The behavior of these shrimps is peaceful. When their numbers are small, they are even somewhat timid, but with an increase in the number of conspecifics, they become more active and can become dominant over smaller shrimps. The aquarium should contain plants (preferably Riccia, mosses).
In the aquarium, they are fed live food (bloodworms) or dry and frozen invertebrate and fish foods. Soft, acidic to neutral, well-aerated water is necessary for them to feel well and breed. Regularly changed clear water without dissolved organics is a must. They can survive for some time in slightly alkaline water, but offspring do not survive after hatching. Fully independent individuals emerge from the ripened eggs. The babies are born with the exact same coloration as the adults. T 23-25°C; dH 6-12°; pH 6.8-7.2.
— Caridina serrata “Tupfel”. “Red Tupfel shrimp”. 2.5-3 cm. Artificially bred by breeders in Germany. Very variable in coloration and similar to Bienen and Tiger shrimp. The coloration consists of a series of irregular and discontinuous, more or less distinct groups of black pigmentation separated by clear fragments (sometimes completely transparent) of white pigmentation, primarily in the dorsal and thoracic zones. The occipital area of the head is usually darker. A black stripe runs around the head, and sometimes black speckles appear on the body. Eyes are of a dark amber tone.
Females are slightly larger than males. They crossbreed with Bee shrimp and related species. — Caridina serrata “Tangerine Tiger” – always have an orange tint with partially transparent areas. The body has brown to reddish-brown stripes and spots. They live for 1-1.5 years.
Identification: Caridina serrata.
— Caridina serratirostris [De Man, 1892] — Ninja Shrimp, Christmas Shrimp, Honey Shrimp. “Ninja shrimp”, “Christmas shrimp”, “Honey shrimp”. Coastal zones of Indonesia and India. The related species C. celebensis is very closely related to C. serratirostris. 3 cm, males are smaller. These are shrimps that are mostly caught in the wild, as they are quite difficult to breed in home conditions, since they definitely need brackish/salt water for reproduction. They got their name for their ability to quickly change color based on their environment and disappear by camouflaging like a ninja.
It is known that these species can acquire red, yellow, brown, blue, white, gray, green, black, red with white lines, spotted and unspotted, and many other colors and shades, which they use as a means of camouflage. They can imitate the coloration of the substrate or surrounding objects. Their ability to quickly change colors is an excellent camouflage. Many other species of shrimp change color, for example, in a stressful situation or when sick, while the Ninja changes color when the shrimp itself needs it. It differs from other Caridina and Neocaridina by its reddish-colored forehead.
As with most “wild” species, these shrimps can be difficult to keep, especially if they have experienced stress from capture and long-term transportation. Peaceful, can be kept with other shrimps of similar behavior, and with small, non-aggressive fish. This is a rather timid shrimp. It gets along easily with neighbors and is not picky about food. Omnivorous, feeding the shrimps is quite simple, especially as long as they feel healthy. This shrimp reproduces only in its native brackish biotopes. Salinity levels are a very factor throughout several stages of the larvae’s development. They live for more than 2 years. pH 6.0-7.0; dH 8-10°; Temperature 20-26°C, optimal 24°C.
Caridina simoni, trifasciata, tumida, villadolidi, Princess Bee.
Caridina hodgarti, meridionalis, nanaoensis, thambipillai. 
