Familie: Atyidae
Vampir-Garnele: Atya gabonensis, ein 8-13 cm großer Filterfresser aus den Stromschnellen Westafrikas mit fächerartigen Vorderbeinen. Braucht starke Strömung, viel Sauerstoff und 22-28 °C; friedlich, nachtaktiv, über 5 Jahre alt werdend.
Vampire Shrimp is the largest shrimp commonly kept in freshwater: Atya gabonensis, a brown filter feeder from the rapids of West and Central African rivers, named for the fang-like projections on its carapace and its nocturnal habits. What makes it unmistakable are the front legs, which open into fans of fine bristles — the shrimp anchors itself to a rock in the current and spreads these fans to strain drifting plankton, algae and detritus. Adults reach 8-13 cm, need an aquarium with real flow and excellent oxygenation at 22-28 °C, and appreciate a shady cave or crevice to hide in by day; under subdued blue evening light they emerge to fan the current. They are utterly peaceful, ignore fish and plants, and can live for five years or more. Feeding is easy: fine sinking powders, crushed algae wafers and the particles a mature filter already circulates. Avoid strong medications and copper, give them current and darkness, and a vampire shrimp becomes the quiet, prehistoric centerpiece of a river-themed tank.
Mittleres Niveau: stabiles Wasser steht an erster Stelle. Very peaceful — entirely filter-feeding. Solitary or a pair, each with its own perch.
Halte das Wasser bei 22–28 °C. 22–28 °C stable range. Stable 22–28 °C; never below 20 °C.
Ausgewachsen 8–13 cm. Wegen seiner Lebensweise (Anchored in current, fan-feeding on outflow) sind 80 L oder mehr sinnvoll.
Filter feeder; needs powdered or fine suspended foods daily. Zwei kleine Portionen täglich.
Ja, mit Bedacht. Very peaceful — entirely filter-feeding — vergesellschafte es mit Medium peaceful community fish — Too large to be eaten; ignores tankmates, African river fish (tetra, ctenopoma) — Shares the biotope theme, Large peaceful catfish — No conflicts at the bottom. Halte Copper-based medications — Lethal to all invertebrates, Dead zones without flow — Filter feeders suffocate in stagnant water, Boisterous fin-nippers — Constant harassment keeps it hidden fern.
Sein natürlicher Lebensraum liegt in West Africa — fast rivers from Senegal to Congo, in fast-flowing rivers where it filter-feeds on rocks.
In der Zucht: almost never bred in home aquaria — the larvae are planktonic and drift to estuary water. Every specimen in the hobby is wild-caught, so choose tank-bred alternatives if sustainability matters to you, or keep one long-lived individual for years.. Sexes look alike as adults; females grow larger and fuller-bodied..