# Amano Shrimp (*caridina multidentata*) Amano Shrimp are small, colorful creatures that love to swim around in aquariums! They help keep the water clean by eating algae, making them great little helpers for fish tanks. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Habitat:** Freshwater rivers and streams, often found in aquariums. - **Also known as:** Amano Prawn, Japanese Shrimp, Yamato Shrimp ![Amano Shrimp](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Caridina_multidentata%28Hamamatsu%252CShizuoka%252CJapan%252C2007%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Seotaro, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caridina_multidentata%28Hamamatsu%252CShizuoka%252CJapan%252C2007%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Amano Shrimp has a translucent, greyish body often adorned with a broken line of reddish-brown dots or dashes along its sides. Its clear shell allows a glimpse of its internal organs, distinguishing it from more opaque freshwater shrimp. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Malacostraca - **Order:** Decapoda - **Family:** Atyidae - **Genus:** Caridina ## Interesting facts - Their babies must hatch in saltwater, then move to freshwater as they grow up! - These tiny shrimp can sometimes jump right out of their tank! - They are named after a famous Japanese aquatic gardener. - They spend their whole lives nibbling tiny invisible bits off surfaces. ## Special abilities - **Algae Eradicator:** Amano Shrimp can consume various types of algae, including stubborn black beard algae, that helps keep their environment clean. - **Color Shifter:** Amano Shrimp can subtly change their body coloration to better blend with their surroundings, helping them avoid predators. - **Survival Breeder:** Amano Shrimp lay tiny eggs that hatch into larval stages, requiring brackish water to develop and survive. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 5 cm - **Lifespan:** 3 years ## Diet & Feeding Amano Shrimp are nature's tiny clean-up crew, munching on algae and decaying plant matter. - **Primary Foods:** Algae, Biofilm, Decaying plant matter, Detritus, Small food scraps - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Donko goby (*Odontobutis obscura*) — a freshwater fish that preys on smaller invertebrates. - **Eaten by:** Ayu sweetfish (*Plecoglossus altivelis*) — a river fish known to consume various aquatic insects and shrimp. - **Eaten by:** Japanese eel (*Anguilla japonica*) — eats shrimp as part of its varied diet in rivers. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Amano Shrimp? Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Amano Shrimp? 5 cm ### How long does Amano Shrimp live? 3 years ### What does Amano Shrimp eat? Amano Shrimp are nature's tiny clean-up crew, munching on algae and decaying plant matter. ### Where is Amano Shrimp usually found? Freshwater rivers and streams, often found in aquariums. ### How does Amano Shrimp hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Mitchell Nutter Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mitchell-nutter-park) — Florida, US · Park ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Amano Shrimp: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/amano-shrimp)