pincers on bee shrimp?

[john]

Do bee or cherry shrimp have those pincher or claw type things that you see on larger species of shrimp? The reason I'm asking is because I bought some bee shrimp and one of them is larger than the others, about the size of a full grown cherry, and when I watch him pick at food, I can see little pinchers or claws. Thanks,
John

[gigahertz]

They sure so. If I'm not mistaken they have two sets. A bigger pair ahead of the second pair.

[Robert]

Hi,
all Caridina and Neocaridina species have like any other shrimp such pincers but these pincers are different from the pincers which e.g Macrobrachium species (glass shrimps and other bigger carnivorus shrimps for example often belong to this genus) have. The pincers of our dwarf shrimps are more like little brushes to pick up algae and microrganisms from a surface e.g. a leaf. They have two pairs of them and cannot harm any other critter of roughly the same size with them.

Even filter shrimps like secies of the genus Atya and Atyopsis have two pairs of "pincers" but they are formed like a fan to filter the water. They are also harmless, although some are quit large.


regards

Robert

[Walter]

just a note, mountain/rock shrimps with big fan like pincers sometimes may filter off shrimplets and eaten... so be careful about adding this species... :)