The Fascinating Evolution of Shrimp Keeping: A Historical Overview
Keeping shrimps as pets is actually a very recent occurrence. The keeping of freshwater shrimp, known as prawn farming, originated centuries ago in Asia as a happy coincidence. During this time farmers had tidal ponds for harvesting fish where the wild shrimp larvae accidentally ended up.
Shrimps in the pond, where used as an extra source of food. Actual farming of shrimp really took of in the late 1930s when the reproduction and breeding was actually understood.
Another milestone was achieved in the 1980s by Takashi Amano, a well-renowned aquascaper. He introduced the use of shrimp in the aquarium hobby. The Caridina multidentate, commonly named the Amano shrimp after Takashi Amano, became well known as part of a “clean-up crew” of the aquarium due to their natural diet containing algae and biofilm. Something all aquarists have to deal with at some point, whether they like it or not.
Shrimps as pets
But it wasn’t until the 1990s that the popularity of shrimp as pets began to spread globally. This was due to the development of new breeding techniques and the introduction of more colourful and unique varieties.
One of the most popular species of ornamental shrimp, Caridina cantonensis, has many varieties with the most known being the Crystal Red Shrimp or “CRS”. They were first introduced to the hobby in Japan in the late 1980s, whereafter they quickly gained popularity. Due to its stunning red and white colouration it became one of the most sought-after species in the hobby.
In the 2000s, the popularity of ornamental shrimp continued to grow, with more and more species being developed and imported from Asia. Today, there are numerous species of Caridina and Neocaridina shrimp available to hobbyists, with a wide range of colours and patterns to choose from.
Overall, the history of keeping ornamental shrimp as pets is a relatively recent one, but it has quickly become a popular and rewarding hobby for aquarists around the world!
