Crystal Black Shrimp

Looks how to spot one

Exoskeleton (dwarf freshwater shrimp)

A small shrimp with crisp bands of black and white, the same banding as the crystal red but in black. The wild bee pattern alternates dark and clear or white stripes.21

Personality what they are like

A gentle shrimp that spends its time grazing surfaces. It is peaceful with its own kind and with other small, calm animals.14

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Constant forager; give it moss, plants and stones to pick over.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep water clean, soft and steady with gentle, regular water changes.43

Home where they are happiest

A planted nano tank or larger kept around 20-27 C, with slightly acidic soft water (Japanese Wikipedia gives pH 5.8-6.8).423

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Eats biofilm on stones, decaying plant matter and tiny insect larvae; shrimp food and blanched spinach make good extras.14

Company who they like around

Kept as a colony, often in a species-only tank so the young are safe.4

The story where it all began

The black bee shrimp was the stock from which the crystal red appeared in Japan in the 1990s. Breeders have since worked on both lines side by side, aiming for cleaner, brighter white.34

Recognised by the official bits

Taxonomy

Black-and-white colour form of the bee shrimp, usually placed in Caridina logemanni or Caridina cantonensis; the species' status is still debated.1

Aquarium hobby

English Wikipedia describes the black bee as the most common bee shrimp variety.3