Pinocchio Shrimp

About

The pinocchio or rhino shrimp is a near-transparent Indo-Pacific atyid with a long red spike of a rostrum, named for the nose it cannot hide. Wild populations live in estuaries, mangroves and brackish marshes, and that origin governs everything about keeping it. The larvae unambiguously cannot develop in fresh water - they die within days without brackish salinity - so, exactly like the Amano shrimp, it never breeds in a home community tank. On the adults the sources genuinely disagree: European suppliers keep and sell them in plain fresh water, while The Shrimp Farm argues they are not a freshwater species at all and will fail eventually without salt. Either way it is no cherry shrimp substitute. Almost all stock is wild-caught, it reacts badly to an immature tank and to rushed acclimation, and it jumps through any gap in the lid.

Care

Only for a mature, stable, copper-free tank with steady GH for moulting and zero ammonia or nitrite. Drip-acclimate slowly - it is far less forgiving than cherry shrimp - and keep six or more. Cover every gap in the lid, because it jumps. It will not breed in fresh water, and some keepers hold that adults last longer with a little salt.

Diet

Omnivorous grazer taking algae, biofilm and detritus. Offer spirulina-based shrimp food, blanched vegetables and leaf litter, with occasional protein.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

• Saddle and berryStrong · at 12–18 mm body length — under 10 mm nothing shows

  The ovaries show through the shell behind the head as a pale yellow or green patch shaped like a saddle. Those are unfertilised eggs, and their appearance is what tells you she is mature. Once she is carrying, they move under the tail and are fanned by her swimmerets.

Also in these lists

Similar species

Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.

Sold in Lithuania

These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.

These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Pinocchio Shrimp need?

A Pinocchio Shrimp needs an aquarium of at least 40 litres (10.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 45 cm (17.7 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Pinocchio Shrimp need?

Pinocchio Shrimp does best at 20–28 °C (68–82.4 °F), pH 6.5–8 and a general hardness of 4–15 °dGH.

What group size does a Pinocchio Shrimp need?

Pinocchio Shrimp is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Pinocchio Shrimp suitable for beginners?

Pinocchio Shrimp sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

• Wikipedia — Caridina gracilirostris
• Garnelio — Red Rhino Shrimp (Caridina gracilirostris)
• The Shrimp Farm — Pinocchio Shrimp Tank Set-Up & Care
• Shrimp and Snail Breeder — Red Nose Shrimp Detailed Guide