Ghost shrimp or macrobrachium (sp?)

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NLindsey921

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So I've read of these macrobrachium guys and was wondering how to tell the difference. I bought 10 ghost shrimp 3 months ago and only one is still alive. Is it possible he is a macro? He's starting to get a weird tint to him and he's not as ghostly anymore. This is the best picture I can get of him at the moment.
60a0bac38f552b8231aa713b4df3f5b8.jpg


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I made an error. I bought 20 ghost shrimp. Not 10.

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The main indicator of the carnivorous, fish eating macros is their long and relatively thick claws. I can't see the claws but yours does look like a ghost shrimp.
 
Thank you. I just wasn't sure cause he seems to get less and less see through after every molt.

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The easiest and most reliable way to tell the difference between a macro and a ghost is seeing how long the forearms are basically, as Demeter32 already mentions.

For illustration purposes, here are two picture (both pictures are from generic online google images), first image (top) is a ghost shrimp and second image (bottom) is a macro, you can see the slight diferences between the two is hard to tell but for the differing forearms length with longer arms and larger claw on the macro.

There are other very slight body colouration and saddle colour differences between macros and ghosts etc but even those are not infalliable to tell the difference between the two species, forearm length and claw is the most dependable way in my opinion.

Ghost Shrimp.jpg
Machrobrachium Shrimp.jpg


Hard to tell when you just have one shrimp on its own, I know, but if you compare that one in the picture you provided with one of the other 19 ghost shrimps you have, thats probably your best bet. Once you know what to look for, it becomes easier.

One other possibility if it IS different from the other ghost shrimps and differs from macros is that it may be an Amano shrimp, all three species, macro, ghost and amano look extremely similar when they are young juveniles just to confuse matters a little more, sorry!

I'd suggest you google amano, ghost and macro shrimps for further images online to try to determine what looks closest to what you have in your tank.
 

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