''Caridina dennerli'' is a small

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of freshwater

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

from

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

(Indonesia) that grows up to in length. It takes its name from the German company Dennerle, which supported the expedition that led to the scientific description of the species. It is popularly known as the 'cardinal shrimp' in the aquarium trade.

Description

The female is larger than the male, and has a deeper

carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...

. The eggs of ''C. dennerli'' are relatively large for the size of the shrimp and are carried underneath the female's abdomen.

Distribution and ecology

''Caridina dennerli'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Lake Matano Lake Matano ( id, Danau Matano), also known as Matana, is a natural lake in East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia. With a depth of , it is the deepest lake in Indonesia (ranked by maximum depth), the 10th deepest lake in the wo ...

and is found among rocks and cliffs, from shallow water down to Lake Matano is ultra-oligotrophic, which means that it is extremely nutrient poor and contain very little organic matter. The visibility underwater was estimated to be around . The temperature in Lake Matano varies in the range . A pH of 7.4 and a

conductivity Conductivity may refer to: *Electrical conductivity, a measure of a material's ability to conduct an electric current **Conductivity (electrolytic), the electrical conductivity of an electrolyte in solution **Ionic conductivity (solid state), elec ...

of 224 μS/cm) have been recorded. ''C. dennerli'' is believed to feed on detritus in nature.

Aquarium

''Caridina dennerli'' are considered one of the most attractive species of shrimp in the Caridina genus, becoming increasingly sought after. The shrimp are quite small, with a fully grown adult barely reaching 1 inch in length. They feed on small animals in an established and planted aquarium and are sensitive to water parameter fluctuations.

Threats

This species is threatened by pollution from nickel mining and human activities, introduced species like the

flowerhorn cichlid Flowerhorn cichlids are ornamental aquarium fish noted for their vivid colors and the distinctively shaped heads for which they are named. Their head protuberance is formally called a Nuchal lines, nuchal hump. Like blood parrot cichlids, they ar ...

and hydro-electric power plants on the southern shore of

. Although previously locally abundant, no ''Caridina dennerli'' have been recorded in the wild since 2013 and the species possibly is

extinct in the wild A species that is extinct in the wild (EW) is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as known only by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due ...

. It is kept and bred in captivity.

References

RedBee
(Swedish)

External links

Radiation of Endemic Species Flocks in Ancient Lakes: Systematic Revision of the Freshwater Shrimp Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae) from the Ancient Lakes of Sulawesi, Indonesia, with the Description of Eight New Species
- Describing paper {{Taxonbar, from=Q978263 Atyidae Freshwater crustaceans of Asia Crustaceans of Indonesia Endemic fauna of Indonesia Crustaceans described in 2009