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Encyclopedia / Shrimp / Ninja shrimp
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Ninja shrimp

Marosina serratirostris · Caridina typus, Typus shrimp, Algae shrimp, Sulawesi/fiji algae shrimp

Peaceful and active.

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3 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7–8pH ✓
40 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Ninja shrimp only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Betta eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Ninja shrimp only grows to 3 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

108 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓3–30 dGH
Group size ?6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Herbivore
Lifespan ✓2–4 years
Size in shops 2–3 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and active. Eats algae well and can climb out of open tanks.

Food

Algae, biofilm and algae wafers.

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Male or female

Females grow larger (to about 3 cm); males stay smaller (to about 2.5 cm) and slimmer.

Health

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

Breeding

Amphidromous: larvae need brackish to full-strength sea water to develop (lab larvae reached the juvenile stage only at 17-34 ppt salinity) and die in fresh water, so it does not breed in a freshwater home tank.

Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionIndo-Pacific – islands and coasts from East Africa to the Pacific
Rivers and lakesCoastal rivers and streams
HabitatFast-flowing coastal streams
Native rangeAbout 5,000 km across
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The story of the ninja shrimp

A small shrimp famous for changing colour (orange to black, often patterned) within a short time; it eats algae and biofilm, and its larvae need salt water, so babies are not seen in freshwater tanks.

Henri Milne-Edwards described this shrimp in 1837. It is the type species of the genus Caridina. It can change colour quickly.

First described by Henri Milne-Edwards in 1837.

  • It is the type species of Caridina.
  • It can change colour quickly.
  • Its larvae need salt water.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources