Which is it dilema?

[Baccus]

Ok this guy has been in my tank for a while and it has always been slim and smaller than a cherry shrimp. Its colour does change from black to red but it always keeps the tan stripe down its back, but has never had any bars running across its back. Also in a tank with white sand it was always black with the stripe down its back. It also has REALLY long back legs. Its weird the legs sort of get longer from the front to the rear (excluding the swimmerets), and remind me of the daddy long spiders, or dragon flies off the tv show Miniscule. Especially when the shrimp decides to swim and has to fold its legs up, but not the way that a cherry shrimp would fold its legs in.

He is also quite a shy shrimp, in the 4ft tank I only found him whenever I dismantled the tank looking for BN fry. Since I have moved him into a smaller tank I get to see him more often but he still hides mostly around/ in the large hollow log.

The options of just where he came from are limited, one native shrimp keeper in WA, me locally catching shrimp or a bag sneak shrimp from Bob

I originally thought that this guy was a chameleon shrimp, but now am more inclined to think it is a Spiny-Beaked Caridina. Since I now have Caridina sp WA4 I dont believe he is this type of shrimp.

What ever he is I would dearly love to get some more, just so he has some company.

Sorry for the quality photos, its not the easiest shrimp to catch out in a suitable photo area.

I will have to see if I can get some better photos but in the mean time please help guess his true type.

[northboy]

Have a good look at the nose and compare the serrations on it to some of your others that is going to give you a fair idea or draw them and post it if you can, Spiny-Beaked Caridina are in fairly hard to get to locations.

Male Serratirostris don't have the colour patterns that a female dose and that one what ever it is, is male. I will have a look at the Caradina key to see if there is mention of the rear legs as that is another ID key

Bob

[Baccus]

Thanks Bob,

I always figured it was a male because of his slenderness and size. Size wise I would put him at only 2cm 2.5 tops and he has been that size for ages.

I could really annoy the shrimp and track it down again, its probably in the log again but I prefer to get photos of it when its willingly out and about, that way it tends to stay in one spot rather than wondering off at the last minute.

[Baccus]

Just got a new photo of my mystery guy. He was under the shadow of the log but for once towards the front of the tank. I had to use the flash but it still shows how black he is. The other night when I saw him he was dark cherry shrimp red with a reddish tan stripe. Hopefully I have zoomed in enough to help with identifying him.