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No federal permit to keepBamboo shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
Invertebrates › Freshwater shrimp (Decapoda) › Atyidae (Freshwater shrimp)
Atyopsis is a genus of freshwater shrimp from Southeast Asia.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Diet | Provide fine suspended foods at feeding perches in flowing water; grazing pellets alone are insufficient. Specialized freshwater filter feeder; monitor intake without fouling water. | 401 |
| Water temperature | 73–84 degF Published keeper range, rounded from 23–29°C; not a demonstrated optimum. | 401 |
| Water pH | 6.5–7.5 pH Published keeper recommendation. | 401 |
| Aquarium dimensions recommended | 60; 30; 30 Published example with high-flow perches and sheltered resting areas. | 401 |
Care guide
Freshwater shrimp
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Streams and ponds. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Cycled, planted tanks with stable water; moss gives baby shrimp grazing surfaces.
Diet
- Biofilm, algae, blanched vegetables and shrimp pellets.
Health watch
- Avoid copper-based treatments and abrupt temperature, salinity or hardness changes. Maintain stable, species-appropriate mineral content; different freshwater shrimp do not share one water-chemistry recipe.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It was erected in 1983 by Fenner A. Chace, Jr. for two species formerly treated in the genus Atya.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Atyopsis” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Atyopsis is a genus of freshwater shrimp from Southeast Asia. It was erected in 1983 by Fenner A. Chace, Jr. for two species formerly treated in the genus Atya. It differs from Atya by various characters, including the form of the telson (which is longest at the corners in Atyopsis, but not in Atya) and the presence of a "massive spur" on the male third pereiopod. The genus comprises two species, Atyopsis spinipes and Atyopsis moluccensis. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 87°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 70°F (down to 66°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 75–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 78–84% on average (driest month about 76%) |
| Rainfall | about 2563 mm a year, spread fairly evenly |
Measured at 10 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
Data and studies
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- The pet trade as a source of non-native decapods: the case of crayfish and shrimps in a thermal waterbody in Hungary Bláha M et al., Environmental monitoring and assessment 2022
- The complete mitochondrial genome of bamboo shrimp Atyopsis moluccensis (Atyidae, Decapoda) Peng C et al., Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources 2024
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- University of Florida IFAS: Use of Copper in Marine Aquaculture and Aquarium Systems Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Aquarium Co-Op: Amano Shrimp Care Guide Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Aquarium Co-Op: Cherry Shrimp—Tank Setup, Food, and Breeding Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Okuno & Bruce 2010: Designation of Ancylomenes gen. nov. Peer-reviewed researchAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- WoRMS/DecaNet: Hymenocera picta Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.