Caridina multidentata is a species of shrimp in the family Atyidae. It is native to Japan and Taiwan. Its common names include Yamato shrimp, Japanese shrimp, Amano's shrimp, and algae shrimp.

Description

This species has a translucent body covered with a broken line of reddish brown points on its sides. The dorsal surface has a white stripe that runs from the head to the tail and the eyes are black. Females are easily distinguished from males by their more elongated lower row of dots.

In captivity

According to different sources, Caridina multidentata was introduced into the world of aquaria by Takashi Amano in the early 1980s. They are usually used in an aquarium because they feed primarily on algae, thus cleaning the aquarium if in large numbers. Caridina multidentata was previously known to aquarists as Caridina japonica but was renamed Caridina multidentata following a study in 2006.

Biology

Caridina multidentata mate in freshwater streams and marshes. Female shrimp signal readiness to mate much like other shrimp species, by releasing pheromones into the water for the males to follow. The fertilised eggs are released and go through larval stages in brackish and salt water as they drift out to sea. The salinity is apparently not a requirement, as the species has been successfully bred in freshwater. In the wild the larvae return from the sea once they reach their final growth stage, and they remain in freshwater for the remainder of their lives.


source - Wikipedia