Vampire Shrimp: Atya gabonensis
A large filter feeder that fans the current with feathered forelimbs rather than grazing. Needs flow and suspended food, not algae wafers.
Also known as: Viper Shrimp · African Fan Shrimp · Atya gabonensis · Gabon Shrimp
Vampire Shrimp
A large filter feeder that fans the current with feathered forelimbs rather than grazing. Needs flow and suspended food, not algae wafers.
Natural Habitat & Origin
Fast-flowing rivers of West Africa and northern South America.
Care Requirements
Keep Vampire Shrimp at 23-28°C with a pH of 6.5-7.5. Needs strong flow and a mature tank with suspended particulate food. A pristine, heavily filtered tank can starve it.
Use the Aquarium Tracker to log these parameters against your own readings — it flags a drift before it becomes a problem.
Diet & Feeding
Filters the current with fan-shaped forelimbs rather than grazing. Powdered foods and a mature tank with some suspended matter suit it; algae wafers largely do not.
Behaviour & Temperament
Shy and largely nocturnal at first, becoming bolder once settled. Sits in the flow with fans extended for hours.
Tank Mates
Peaceful with anything too large to eat it and too small to eat it. Excellent with medium community fish.
Breeding
Larvae require brackish water; captive breeding is rare and difficult.
Common Health Issues
Starvation is the most common cause of loss, and it is slow and easily missed. A thin, inactive shrimp is usually underfed rather than ill.
