Neocaridina

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Neocaridina
Neocaridina-palmata.jpg
Neocaridina palmata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Caridea
Family: Atyidae
Genus: Neocaridina
Kubo, 1938
Type species
Neocaridina denticulata
(de Haan, 1844)

Neocaridina is a genus of small, land-locked freshwater shrimp in the family Atyidae (order Decapoda, infraorder Caridea) native to East Asia. [1] The genus comprises roughly c. 25–30 described species (numbers vary with ongoing revision and differing treatments of synonyms and subspecies). [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Several Neocaridina species are widely traded as ornamental aquarium shrimp, especially Neocaridina davidi (commonly known as “cherry shrimp”), which has been introduced outside its native range and has established populations in thermally altered waters and other suitable habitats in parts of Europe, North America, and elsewhere. [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and systematics

Establishment of the genus

Neocaridina was established by I. Kubo in 1938 during taxonomic work on Japanese atyid shrimp, separating a set of freshwater taxa from related genera within Atyidae. [7] The type species is Neocaridina denticulata (de Haan, 1844). [7]

Species delimitation and revision

Species-level taxonomy in Neocaridina has been repeatedly revised because many diagnostic morphological characters can be variable and because multiple lineages may be morphologically similar (cryptic diversity). [1] [3] Modern treatments commonly combine morphology with molecular data (e.g., COI barcoding and phylogenetic analyses) to resolve species boundaries and historical biogeography. [8]

A well-studied example is Taiwan, where COI sequence datasets have been used to identify multiple Neocaridina taxa on the island and infer several separate colonisation events from mainland East Asia and the Japanese islands. [8]

Nomenclatural notes (aquarium-traded taxa)

Some aquarium-traded “Neocaridina” have been historically reported under different names (including treatments involving N. heteropoda and N. denticulata complexes), contributing to persistent confusion in non-specialist contexts; integrative taxonomy continues to refine species limits and synonymies within these complexes. [1] [3]

Description

General morphology

Members of Neocaridina are small caridean shrimp. As in other Atyidae, they have specialised mouthparts and feeding appendages adapted to grazing on fine organic material and biofilms on submerged surfaces. [2] Diagnostic characters used in atyid shrimp taxonomy commonly include features of the rostrum, antennular and antennal segments, pereiopods (including setation and proportions), and reproductive structures such as the male first pleopod and appendix masculina on the second pleopod. [1] [5]

Life cycle strategy (land-locked freshwater habit)

Neocaridina species are often described as “land-locked” freshwater shrimp, completing their full life cycle in freshwater rather than requiring a prolonged marine or brackish larval phase typical of some other caridean lineages. [1] This life history trait is relevant to dispersal, population structure, and island biogeography within East Asia. [8]

Distribution and habitat

Native range

Neocaridina is distributed across East Asia, including (depending on species) eastern Russia, the Korean Peninsula, the main islands of Japan and the Ryukyus, Taiwan, continental China, and Vietnam. [1] Regional phylogeographic analyses on Taiwan support multiple origins of island lineages from mainland China and the Japanese archipelago via several colonisation routes over time. [8]

Habitats

Species occur in inland freshwater habitats such as streams and rivers, and can be found associated with a variety of microhabitats including runs and riffles, aquatic vegetation, and leaf litter and other detrital substrates. [1] [9]

Ecology

Feeding and ecosystem roles

Atyid shrimp can be important benthic consumers in freshwater systems, grazing on periphyton/biofilms and processing fine organic matter, thereby influencing algal biomass, community composition, and nutrient cycling. [10] While many ecosystem-function studies focus on other atyid taxa, these findings are broadly relevant to understanding the ecological role of atyid shrimp assemblages that include Neocaridina. [10]

Introduced-population ecology (Neocaridina davidi)

Where introduced, Neocaridina davidi can form persistent populations in suitable habitats, including thermally polluted streams. Field studies in Germany documented stable occurrence and population dynamics in warm-water systems (e.g., the Gillbach and connected waters), and noted association with human-modified habitats and pathways linked to the aquarium trade. [5] [11]

Experimental and observational work has also examined potential ecological effects of N. davidi, including altered structure of freshwater meiofaunal assemblages in controlled systems, supporting the view that high-density populations can influence lower trophic levels. [12]

Relationship with humans

Aquarium trade

Neocaridina species—especially Neocaridina davidi—are widely kept as ornamental freshwater shrimp in home aquaria and are distributed internationally through the aquatic pet trade. [4] [13] The popularity of selectively bred colour morphs is a major driver of trade volume and repeated introductions into non-native regions via release or escape. [6] [5]

Introduced and invasive populations

Introduced Neocaridina populations have been documented in multiple regions. On O‘ahu (Hawai‘i), an introduced Neocaridina taxon was found in high densities across multiple drainages and was inferred to be a relatively recent introduction based on survey history and rapid appearance at multiple sites. [9]

In Europe, N. davidi has been repeatedly recorded from thermally altered waters and canals, including DNA-confirmed records and reports of range expansion; studies have emphasised links to aquarium-trade availability and thermal refugia that enable persistence and spread. [5] [14] [15] [16]

Risk-screening and synthesis documents for the United States have assessed N. davidi as a nonindigenous species of concern and summarised evidence on establishment pathways, potential ecological effects, and the role of ornamental trade in introductions. [6] [4]

Species

The exact composition of Neocaridina varies by taxonomic treatment. A widely cited global catalogue of caridean shrimp provides a baseline species compilation for the genus, with multiple additional species described subsequently in regional revisions (e.g., Taiwan) and integrative studies. [2] [1] [17]

The following list largely follows De Grave & Fransen (2011) with later additions where explicitly sourced: [2]

For a complete and current taxonomic account, consult up-to-date taxonomic databases and recent integrative revisions, as species concepts and synonymies within Neocaridina continue to change with ongoing research. [3] [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Shih, Hsi-Te (2017). "A New Species of Land-locked Freshwater Shrimp of the Genus Neocaridina Kubo, 1938 (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) from Taiwan". ZooKeys. 693: 1–22. doi:10.3897/zookeys.693.13422. PMC   6517772 . PMID   28769679.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 De Grave, S.; Fransen, C. H. J. M. (2011). "Carideorum catalogus: the recent species of the Dendrobranchiate, Stenopodidean, Procarididean and Caridean Shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda)". Zoologische Mededelingen. 85 (9): 195–589.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Yang, M. (2024). "Integrative Taxonomy Reveals New Insights into the Species Validity of the Neocaridina davidi–N. denticulata–N. heteropoda Complex and Mitogenomic Phylogeny of Caridean Shrimps". Biomolecules. 46 (11): 729. doi:10.3390/biom46110729.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  4. 1 2 3 "cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) – Species Profile". U.S. Geological Survey: Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Klotz, W.; Miesen, F. W.; Hüllen, S.; Herder, F. (2013). "Two Asian fresh water shrimp species found in a thermally polluted stream system in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany" (PDF). Aquatic Invasions. 8 (3): 333–339. doi:10.3391/ai.2013.8.3.09.
  6. 1 2 3 Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) (PDF) (Report). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Neocaridina Kubo, 1938". DecaNet / WoRMS taxon details. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Han, Chiao-Chuan; Hsu, Kui-Ching; Fang, Lee-Shing; Cheng, I-Ming; Lin, Hung-Du (2019). "Geographical and temporal origins of Neocaridina species (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) in Taiwan". BMC Genetics. 20 (1): 86. doi:10.1186/s12863-019-0788-y. PMC   6868699 . PMID   31752677.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  9. 1 2 Englund, R. A.; Cai, Y. (1999). "The occurrence and description of Neocaridina denticulata sinensis (Kemp, 1918) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae), a new introduction to the Hawaiian Islands" (PDF). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 58: 58–65.
  10. 1 2 Pringle, C. M. (1996). "Atyid shrimps (Decapoda: Atyidae) influence the spatial heterogeneity of algae and insects in a tropical stream" (PDF). Freshwater Biology. 36 (1): 125–139.
  11. ↑ Schoolmann, G. (2018). "Population dynamics of the invasive freshwater shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier, 1904) in a year-round warm-water habitat in Germany". Hydrobiologia. (check issue): (check pages). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  12. ↑ Weber, Sebastian; Traunspurger, Walter (2016). "Influence of the ornamental red cherry shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier, 1904) on freshwater meiofaunal assemblages". Limnologica – Ecology and Management of Inland Waters. (check volume): (check pages). doi:10.1016/j.limno.2016.06.001 . Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  13. ↑ Suen, C. (2021). "Cherry Shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier 1904) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae)". UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  14. ↑ Jabłońska, A.; Mamos, T.; Gruszka, P.; Szlauer-Łukaszewska, A.; Grabowski, M. (2018). "First record and DNA barcodes of the aquarium shrimp, Neocaridina davidi, in Central Europe from a thermally polluted canal in Poland" (PDF). Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems. 419: 14. doi:10.1051/kmae/2018004.
  15. ↑ Weiperth, A.; Gál, B.; Kovács, K.; Heim, O.; Farkas, A.; Kiss, K. T.; Kriska, G.; Kovács, K. (2019). "Occurrence of non-native red cherry shrimp in European freshwaters: a case study and review". Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems. 420: (check page). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  16. ↑ Prati, Sebastian; Grabner, Daniel S.; Hupało, Kamil; Weiperth, András; Maciaszek, Rafał; Lipták, Boris; Bojko, Jamie; Bérces, Fanni; Sures, Bernd (2024). "Invisible invaders: range expansion of feral Neocaridina davidi in central Europe and future spread under climate change". Biological Invasions. 26: 2499–2523. doi:10.1007/s10530-024-03324-3 . Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  17. 1 2 Shih, Hsi-Te; Cai, Yixiong; Chiu, Yi-Wen (2019). "Neocaridina fonticulata, a new land-locked freshwater shrimp species (Decapoda, Caridea, Atyidae) from Taiwan". ZooKeys . 817: 11–23. doi:10.3897/zookeys.817.29332 . Retrieved 1 February 2026.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
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