Here are the first few photos of my vampire shrimp (Atya gabonensis) added to my big 150 gallon tank.

I plan on getting some better photos up soon that can really show off how beautiful this shrimp can be! They come in a blue and orange variety, with mine being a beautiful light blue. The armor is quite hard and rather opaque, with spiky protrusions on the front legs. These guys, despite their common name, vampire shrimp, are quite peaceful. They also go by the names Gabon Shrimp and African Filter/Fan Shrimp.

These guys are rather shy, and their way of eating – filter feeding – necessitates having a habitat that is decently peaceful. Mine, as evidenced by only being able to get photos of him hiding under a piece of driftwood, isn’t super comfortable with the giant danios in the tank or brighter lighting. I’d waited until I found a vampire shrimp that was rather large in hopes of him more easily avoiding any possible bullying. Hopefully he’ll be a bit more outgoing over time, but, if not, at least I’ll know where to look for him.