Caridina spongicola

Caridina cf. spongicola is a small species of freshwater shrimp from Sulawesi (Indonesia) that grows up to 0.65 centimetres (0.26 in) to 1.27 centimetres (0.50 in) in length. It takes its name from the fact that it lives and feeds off freshwater sponges that live in the lakes of Sulawesi.^[1] It is popularly known as the 'Harlequin Shrimp, and also sometimes 'Celebes Beauty Shrimp'^[2] or 'Sponge Shrimp'^[3] in the aquarium trade.

Description

The species has a red- and white-patterned body that has made it popular in the tropical fish industry. Legs and feelers have bands of both red and white along their lengths, eye stalks are red, and the eyes themselves are black and fairly large in size (0.8-0.9 x 0.4-0.6 mm). The carapace of the species has three red stripes running along it, the final one at the base of the tail, with red coloration running halfway along the top of the head, from the tip. The tail is red along the top and bottom, with a white band along each side.^[4]

Distribution and ecology

The Harlequin Shrimp is endemic to Lake Towuti,^[5] the largest and southernmost lake in the Malili complex of the island of Sulawesi, fed by a river that flows from the lake to the Boni Bay.

Home to many endemic fishes, the lake's natural temperature is 26-29 °C with a pH of 7.5-8.5, a GH of 4-8, and a KH of 4-6.^[6] As many as 137 individuals can be found living on a single sponge.^[7] They are said to hide between small rocks in shallow water, as well as between large rocks in deeper waters.^[8] They are known to be intolerant of temperatures lower than 25.5 °C, which can kill them, to require hard water, and also to require water pH levels below 7.0.^[9][10]

Breeding

The Harlequin Shrimp is a "complex breeder", meaning that young are hatched as miniature adults with the same coloration (although not as intense), with no need to transfer from salt and/or brackish water to freshwater as they develop through larval stages.^[11][12] Eggs are black in color, are roughly 10-15 in number, 0.8-0.9 x 0.4-0.6 mm in size, and are carried by the female for 20–30 days before hatching.^[13][14] When not carrying eggs, there is no known, proven way to distinguish females of this species from the males.^[15]

See also

• Caridina dennerli
• Lake Towuti
• List of freshwater aquarium invertebrate species

References

Citations