Caridina spongicola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Caridina spongicola |
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Caridina
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spongicola
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The Caridina spongicola, also known as the harlequin shrimp, is a tiny freshwater shrimp from Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia. These small creatures are usually about 0.64 to 1.27 cm (0.25 to 0.5 in) long. They are special because they live only on a certain type of freshwater sponge. This makes them one of only two known freshwater shrimp species that live in a commensal way, meaning they live closely with another organism without harming it.
Besides harlequin shrimp, they are sometimes called Celebes beauty shrimp or sponge shrimp, especially by people who keep them in aquariums. People often confuse them with Caridina woltereckae, which is a similar but larger shrimp found in the same area.
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What Does the Harlequin Shrimp Look Like?
Harlequin shrimp have a striking red and white pattern on their bodies, which makes them very popular in the tropical fish hobby. Their legs and feelers have bands of both red and white. Their eye stalks are red, and their eyes are black and quite large.
The main body part, called the carapace, has three red stripes. One of these stripes is at the base of their tail. Red coloring also runs halfway along the top of their head. The tail itself is red on the top and bottom, with a white stripe along each side.
Where Do Harlequin Shrimp Live?
Caridina spongicola lives only in Lake Towuti. This is the biggest and southernmost lake in the Malili lake system on Sulawesi island. They are found specifically in the northwestern part of Lake Towuti. In this area, they can be quite common. One study even found as many as 137 shrimp living on a single sponge! On average, there were about 29 shrimp per sponge.
The soft sponge that these shrimp live on is also found only in the northwestern part of Lake Towuti. These sponges can grow up to about 20 cm (8 in) across. Another similar shrimp, Caridina woltereckae, also lives in Lake Towuti, but it is found all over the lake and does not live on sponges.
Lake Towuti is home to many unique fish and other creatures. The water in the lake is naturally warm, usually between 26-29 °C (79-84 °F). The water is also slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7.5-8.5, and it is considered hard water. Harlequin shrimp need these specific water conditions to survive. They cannot handle temperatures lower than 25.5 °C (78 °F), and they need hard water with a pH of at least 7.0.
How Do Harlequin Shrimp Reproduce?
Caridina spongicola are known as "complex breeders." This means that when their young hatch, they look like tiny versions of the adult shrimp. They don't go through different larval stages that need different water types, like some other shrimp.
Female harlequin shrimp carry their eggs for about 20 to 30 days before they hatch. The eggs are black and usually number between 10 and 15. When a female is not carrying eggs, it is very hard to tell the difference between males and females.
See also
- Caridina dennerli
- List of freshwater aquarium invertebrate species
