Shrimp colour mutation??

Have noticed that some of my red cherry shrimp looked a bit orange, but as these ones have grown, and when I saw them today gathered around and right next to some of my red females, struck me just how orange they really are. They look like the orange ones you can buy, right? And you can see the saddles on these girls, so you know they're sexually mature females, and not likely to turn a deeper red in time, surely? I've never noticed mine starting out as orange before turning red, the smaller red ones still look, well, red.

But I only bought red cherries, have never bought orange shrimp I have had a couple of blue ones at times, but only have one blue right now, and it's a female who is only just berried for the first time - she hasn't produced these. Do have a few that look pretty close to the wild type colour too, much more pale, have a blurry photo of one of those.

Have I had an accidental colour mutation? Should I consider moving the oranges to a separate tank and trying to cultivate an orange colony away from the reds?

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Have noticed that some of my red cherry shrimp looked a bit orange, but as these ones have grown, and when I saw them today gathered around and right next to some of my red females, struck me just how orange they really are. They look like the orange ones you can buy, right? And you can see the saddles on these girls, so you know they're sexually mature females, and not likely to turn a deeper red in time, surely? I've never noticed mine starting out as orange before turning red, the smaller red ones still look, well, red.

But I only bought red cherries, have never bought orange shrimp I have had a couple of blue ones at times, but only have one blue right now, and it's a female who is only just berried for the first time - she hasn't produced these. Do have a few that look pretty close to the wild type colour too, much more pale, have a blurry photo of one of those.

Have I had an accidental colour mutation? Should I consider moving the oranges to a separate tank and trying to cultivate an orange colony away from the reds?
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I think its super cool. One color might eventually overtake another so splitting them up isn't a terrible idea. Also now I want some shrimp.

Sorry photos are so blurry, haven't figured out how to fix that on my camera, the focus is on auto, does act as though its focusing when I half press the shutter, but still produces blurry pics. I need camera tech help.

Sorry, so blurry, but some paler red males, and an almost wild type, pretty transparent shrimp right at the front eating a bit of algae wafer.




From left to right: One striped red, closer to wild type male. three orange females. Two red females.



Bonus. Shrimp tree!

HoldenOn said:

I think its super cool. One color might eventually overtake another so splitting them up isn't a terrible idea. Also now I want some shrimp.

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You should get some! They're awesome

They really do look distinctly different from the reds though, right?

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

You should get some! They're awesome

They really do look distinctly different from the reds though, right?

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*Laughs in breeding kribensis and only having one tank*

But yea looks totally different, like carrots and tomatoes.

HoldenOn said:

*Laughs in breeding kribensis and only having one tank*

But yea looks totally different, like carrots and tomatoes.

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LOL okay yeah, they'd just be a super expensive live food in that case...

Get a little five gallon shrimp tank

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

LOL okay yeah, they'd just be a super expensive live food in that case...

Get a little five gallon shrimp tank

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You act as if I have space and money lol

Could be a (genetic) throwback. If you were a commercial breeder you would cull them. Probably best to separate them if you want to keep reds, or in a few generations you could end up with mostly wild types..

@mbsqw1d @EllRog @Ch4rlie @essjay any thoughts?

I've only spotted orange females so far though, but I haven't looked super hard yet, and these have only just just reached maturity. I found a whole load of shrimp moults this morning, wonder if they're standing out more today since they've just moulted perhaps?

If I move the orange females I can to the 12 gallon, then try to find an orange male or two, that could work. But if there aren't any orange males, a red male with an orange female is likely to produce some oranges, some reds, perhaps? Then could move any red young out to try to carry on the orange line... I'm not boned up on shrimp genetics though. Have to do some research.

seangee said:

Could be a (genetic) throwback. If you were a commercial breeder you would cull them. Probably best to separate them if you want to keep reds, or in a few generations you could end up with mostly wild types..

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I can cull them by moving them to a different tank and trying to line breed them as oranges though Orange neocaridina are expensive! Relatively.

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

I can cull them by moving them to a different tank and trying to line breed them as oranges though Orange neocaridina are expensive! Relatively.

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AdoraBelle Dearheart. Not a name I would usually link to hustling.

HoldenOn said:

AdoraBelle Dearheart. Not a name I would usually link to hustling.

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Haha, not hustling! It's how people create different colour variations in all kinds of species. You get an odd colour or shape turn up, you isolate and breed those ones, trying to get them to breed true and produce more just like them. None of these colours are found in the wild shrimp, they came about through genetic mutation and selective breeding.

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Haha, not hustling! It's how people create different colour variations in all kinds of species. You get an odd colour or shape turn up, you isolate and breed those ones, trying to get them to breed true and produce more just like them. None of these colours are found in the wild shrimp, they came about through genetic mutation and selective breeding.

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Woah is there purple ones?!

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

@mbsqw1d @EllRog @Ch4rlie @essjay any thoughts?

I've only spotted orange females so far though, but I haven't looked super hard yet, and these have only just just reached maturity. I found a whole load of shrimp moults this morning, wonder if they're standing out more today since they've just moulted perhaps?

If I move the orange females I can to the 12 gallon, then try to find an orange male or two, that could work. But if there aren't any orange males, a red male with an orange female is likely to produce some oranges, some reds, perhaps? Then could move any red young out to try to carry on the orange line... I'm not boned up on shrimp genetics though. Have to do some research.

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As you said, I don't think they've reached full maturity and there's more time for them to develop their pigmentation. Also, it could be camouflage behaviour and due to your new, darker coloured substrate, it just looks different now?

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Have noticed that some of my red cherry shrimp looked a bit orange, but as these ones have grown, and when I saw them today gathered around and right next to some of my red females, struck me just how orange they really are. They look like the orange ones you can buy, right? And you can see the saddles on these girls, so you know they're sexually mature females, and not likely to turn a deeper red in time, surely? I've never noticed mine starting out as orange before turning red, the smaller red ones still look, well, red.

But I only bought red cherries, have never bought orange shrimp I have had a couple of blue ones at times, but only have one blue right now, and it's a female who is only just berried for the first time - she hasn't produced these. Do have a few that look pretty close to the wild type colour too, much more pale, have a blurry photo of one of those.

Have I had an accidental colour mutation? Should I consider moving the oranges to a separate tank and trying to cultivate an orange colony away from the reds?
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I would separate them absolutely.
Can't wait to see what happens