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Encyclopedia / Shrimp / Australian glass shrimp
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Australian glass shrimp

Paratya australiensis · Glass shrimp, Australian shrimp, Paratya

Peaceful and shy; keep cool and well oxygenated.

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3.5 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →

This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Australian glass shrimp needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Cardinal tetra is tropical.
Not recommended
  • Australian glass shrimp needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Serpae tetra is tropical.
Not recommended
  • Australian glass shrimp needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while X-ray tetra is tropical.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?10 or more
Temperament ?Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓up to 2 years
Size in shops 2–3 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and shy; keep cool and well oxygenated.

  • cool

Food

Biofilm and tiny foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

MaleSmaller and slimmer, with a straight underside
FemaleLarger with a deeper, rounder belly and a visible saddle when ready to breed
TipCompare size; berried females carry eggs under the tail
How hard to tellModerate

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Berried livebearer-style (free-swimming shrimplets) · Moderate

Females carry the eggs under the tail (in the wild mainly in late winter to early spring), and the eggs hatch into free-swimming planktonic larvae, not miniature shrimp. Larvae pass through 8 stages over 28-45 days before metamorphosis. Larvae from inland river populations develop in fresh water.

Pairing

Keep a group of 15-20 and let them pair up; females moult and then mate within a day or two.

Setup

Cool, planted tank at 18-22 C.

What starts it

Spring warming.

Eggs

Dozens of eggs.

Raising the fry

Tiny shrimplets.

Common mistakes
  • Overheating
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionEastern & southern Australia
HabitatRivers, creeks, lakes and billabongs with plants
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
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The story of the australian glass shrimp

A small, transparent shrimp from south-eastern Australia, common in still and slow waters and widely used as bait and as live food; it is also kept in aquariums with small fish.

Stanley Kemp described this small, transparent shrimp in 1917. It is one of Australia's most widespread freshwater shrimps and is often collected locally by Australian aquarists.

First described by Stanley W. Kemp in 1917.

  • Its glassy body makes it hard for predators to spot among plants.
  • Scientists use it to study how freshwater animals spread across river systems.
  • It feeds mainly on biofilm, algae and fine detritus.

Sources

7 facts checked with sources