Blueberry Shrimp

About

The blue berry shrimp (Neocaridina palmata) is one of several color forms of a small freshwater shrimp that goes by a surprising number of names depending on its coloration. Blue berry, nectarine, and marbled shrimp are all used to describe different variants of the same species. The marbled or mottled patterning that gives many of these shrimp their common names is genuinely distinctive among dwarf shrimp, setting them apart from the more uniformly colored Neocaridinas most hobbyists are familiar with. Native to Southern Asia, this species has also spread more broadly through the aquarium trade and beyond. Like most Neocaridinas, these are small, active shrimp that spend their time grazing on biofilm, algae, and organic debris, making them genuinely useful tank inhabitants rather than just decorative ones. They're rated as intermediate in terms of care, which means they're probably not the best starting point if you've never kept shrimp before, but anyone who has successfully maintained cherry shrimp or similar species should be comfortable with them. A well-established, stable planted aquarium suits them best, and a colony of these in a nano tank can be a genuinely engaging display.