Vampire Shrimp

The vampire shrimp (Atya gabonensis) has a fearsome name and does nothing to deserve it. This big West African shrimp, found from Senegal to the Congo, is a peaceful filter feeder that sits in the current and sweeps food out of the water with feather-like fans. It is one of the largest aquarium shrimp, reaching up to about 15 cm, and its color shifts with conditions and molts, from creamy white through rusty brown to a prized deep blue, with harder water tending to bring out the blue. Most of the day it stays tucked away, coming out to feed as the lights dim.

Like the bamboo shrimp, it lives or starves by its fans, so the tank has to suit them. Give it a mature aquarium of at least 100 litres with strong flow from a powerhead or oversized filter to keep particles moving, a sand substrate (gravel can fray the delicate fans), and plenty of caves and plants to hide in while molting. Keep it around 23-29 °C with a pH of 6.5-7.8. Regular shrimp pellets are too coarse for the fans, so supplement with finely powdered foods or spirulina, ideally spot-fed near its perch. If it starts crawling the bottom and sifting sand, it is hungry and at risk. Like all invertebrates, it is also extremely sensitive to copper and many fish medications.

Don't expect a breeding colony. The vampire shrimp is amphidromous: its larvae hatch and develop in salt water before returning to fresh, a cycle that almost never completes in a home tank. Keep it as the striking centerpiece it is.