If you read our previous blog post where Jude Sun discusses the mating of Sulawesi shrimps and shares some photos, you must have thought that keeping multiple species of Sulawesi shrimps together in one aquarium is risky. The photos clearly show that mating attempts are taking place even between different species. But do hybrids actually occur?
I asked Jude Sun about this, who obviously has his own extensive experience with it:
Yes, I have the experience to mix like 6-7 species into one tank, and they can definitely interbreed, but in a low chance.
The most common hybrid is what we call here in China "Yellow Socks", a mix of "Yellow Ring" (Caridina spinata) x "White Socks" (C. dennerli). For others, we also found that "Harlequin" (C. woltereckae), "Tigri" (C. sp. "Tigri"), "Red Line" (C. striata) and even "Blue Leg Poso" (C. caerulea) and "Pink Boxer" (C. longidigita) can interbreed.
"Yellow Ring" (Caridina spinata) x "White Socks" (Caridina dennerli) = "Yellow Socks" (video on my YouTube):
Other hybrid photos by my Chinese hobbyists friends:
Mixing species or not?
Selective breeding and crossbreeding have been around for thousands of years and there is nothing wrong with it. It is understandable why some shrimp keepers like to play with hybridization and create new forms, but Sulawesi Keepers are working hard to save species that are disappearing in the wild. Many of them are critically endangered and Caridina dennerli is close to extinction. From this perspective, hybrids have no value and take up space needed for the conservation breeding of endangered species. This is not to say that crossbreeding or selective breeding is wrong, it is just that these keepers have different motivations. If you want to help save Sulawesi shrimps for future generations, definitely avoid keeping multiple species together and also do not do any selection for the “more attractive” individuals.
Thanks Jude (sun33013301@hotmail.com) for sharing the information and photos!
Markéta Rejlková & Jude Sun
