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Home of a new shrimp species - Caridina sp. 'Malanda'


fishmosy

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There have been a few rumblings from Bob, Kiz and I about a new shrimp to the hobby, and possibly a new shrimp to science , which for the moment we will call Caridina sp. 'Malanda'.

Thanks to Kiz for putting up some excellent pics of the shrimp themselves, which can be found here:

Having kept both the Caridina sp. Malanda and the shrimp collected from Barney Springs (another possibly unidentified shrimp which we are calling Caridina sp. "Barney Springs", also rare in the hobby), they are quite similar in size, shape and colour and, in my opinion, could likely be the same species. These are currently with Ura for taxonomy so we will have some more info on taxonomy soon. Thanks @Ura.

Anyway this is a report from where the shrimp were found (May, 2015).

Water parameters were:

TDS: 17

pH: 7.4 - Water sample was taken from within the riffles which would tend to cause CO2 to gas off and therefore boost pH.

Temperature: 19*C

KH: < 10 ppm

GH: < 20 ppm

 

Short video - excuse the rainy conditions

 

We found the shrimp only in one specific location - just upstream of where Bob is standing, in the long grass at the edge of the stream. We sampled further upstream, across the other side of the creek and downstream, and found none, including in areas where the grass was growing in a similar manner to where we did find them.

 

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This is just a shot from further upstream, around the corner from the above shot. P1040924-P50.thumb.jpg.ee59e75bbd8e5f94e

The creekbed within the riffles was rock, mostly covered in algae and some silt. there were no shrimp in this area.

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The shrimp were found hard in against the bank, right at the interface between the water, the bank and the grass hanging into the water.

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The shrimp were clearly coloured by sex - females were reddish, males blue. Note the large eggs for this species = easy to breed.

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Male - Top

Female - Bottom

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We also found a species of rainbowfish in the eddies at the base of the riffles, a species of gudgeon, some sponges growing on the bedrock in the riffles and some macros (Macrobrachium sp.). None were in the same habitat as the Malanda shrimp.

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This macro had a parasite attached - nasty!

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Edited by fishmosy
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In the 3 years I have been going there since I found it, that are only ever found against the bank,in the grass.

 

Easy to breed though

 

Good one Ben and Kriz for getting photos up

 

Bob

 

PS   Ben they are being looked at next week and Tims DNA said they are new.

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Thats brilliant fellas.  I love the idea that new species can still be found.

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There may be 3 new species soon as they are FINALY being looked at and that is my fault for being slack.

No doubt there will be lots more in the area and all easy to breed.

 

There is another field trip for you Ben and any one else that wants to tag, when I find a few more that is.

 

Bob

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We still have Silver plains later this year Ben, There is some wild country to explore and not explored for shrimp and aquatic plants yet. we will be hiking in and camping light on that one so be ready Ben.

 

Bob

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Yep lets do it. Camping out should allow us to get well out there where few people have ever been. 

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Hi Nogi

You are welcome along, fixing a date will be about 4 weeks notice though, when it rains we go and if it rains to much we can not get there, catch 22.

 

There is a Cooktown/ Black mountain trip soon, you are welcome there, looking for Riffles that might be different and C. maccullochii in the costal streams, also going to try and get into the caves that come out of Black mountain???? and many more things to, 4 days away. OH also spotlighting at night looking for the other Tree Kangaroo species, I have not seen the Bennets yet.

 

Bob

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Black Mountain is an awesome sight! Gee I wish I had known about shrimp when we did the telegraph track. We went to so many little creeks and Billabongs when we camped out up that way and never looked for shrimp -too busy watching out for crocs in some places! Would sooo love to come on one of your trips but I would be a hindrance plus I'm not supposed to climb over rocks - it sux getting older although I don't like the other option. Sparks would fly Bob :chicken_cringe:

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You are not getting Bl##dy older, you are getting more mature, just like me, 57 earlier this month now its time to go backwards.

 

How ever, today I am 100 as I have the DEADLY man flu, its deadly you know

 

Now to go back to sleep

 

Bob

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By the way Ineke there is so many to looked at and I wont live long enough to get to most of them DAM

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Damn indeed Bob. When I turned 60 last year I realised there just wasn't enough time left to do all the things I wanted to do but I'm giving some a go! 

Poor dear man flu huh yes go to bed and don't get up until your well. Nothing worse than a sick man xx

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At last a Woman that under stands how deadly MAN flu is, thanks Ineke.

Of course even though it was weeks ago I am going blame Ben for it LOL

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Go on then Bob. Have you been climbing the pyramid like you said? Hmmmm? 

You need to do it to keep up with me. After all, you can't let me catch ALL the crayfish and you get NONE. 

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  • 3 months later...

All this camping under the night sky in tents with a fire or two going(if not raining) and tracking to untouched no mans land exploring for shrimps and plants sounds so good..

Its a real Shame that its held up north, im a female(30+), dnt drive & live in suburban Sydney.

If i ever get the chance to and 1 do come along i would love to join the experts in some exploring to breed my own new shrimp colony..

I love the color of that new breed shrimp you guys have found. I would love it more to actually see how it looks under water, beg it would look heaps beautiful withits red color..

(currently have breeding chameleons w4 colony)

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I highly reccommend you head up to Cairns. You can fly direct from Sydney to Cairns and I'm sure you can find a local like Northboy to show you around whilst your up there. I fly up from the Gold Coast and Bob has been kind enough to host me on two occasions now. 

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  • 2 months later...
1 hour ago, jayc said:

Any updates on this @fishmosy ?

What were the  taxonomy results from Ura?

Nothing to report yet. Still waiting on taxo. 

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  • 1 month later...

Any News on taxon?

I was just reading Choy & Marshall's 1997 paper on C. confusa, because what else do you do at 1:30am, and in which they hypothesize the split of C. zebra and C. confusa. Colour and patterning is said not to be definitive as plain coloured shrimp populations exist within the Zebra morphology. the rostrum is the most obvious difference and one of the few you can pick on live shrimp. The rostrum on these Caridina sp. 'malanda' does look zebra like and as you have kept both shrimp do you think they are similar?

i ask as i have just collected some shrimp from near Milla Milla that look similar to these

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We are currently in the process of writing the paper that will describe these as a new species. DNA and morphology confirm it's definitely a new species. 

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