Family: Atyidae
Rili Shrimp — the piebald transparent-banded morph of Neocaridina davidi, named after the Japanese mottled-ink 'rili-zu' style. Reaches 2-2.5 cm, easy care at 18-26 °C, breeds freely; solid color on head and tail, glass-clear band between.
Rili Shrimp is the piebald pattern morph of Neocaridina davidi created in Japan and Taiwan by selecting cherry shrimp with transparent mid-sections until the color broke into clean patches — the name comes from the Japanese painting technique 'rili-zu', a mottled ink style. A classic red rili wears solid cherry red on the head and tail with a glass-clear band between, so the internal organs show as a dark line along the back; blue, orange and yellow rilis follow the same broken pattern. Beneath the fancy coat it is the indestructible N. davidi: 2-2.5 cm, 18-26 °C, broad water chemistry tolerance, and a relentless appetite for algae. In the aquarium rilis are among the most entertaining neocaridinas — the transparent window makes their feeding and egg fanning visible in a way solid-color shrimp never allow. They breed freely in freshwater, though rili patterning throws a range of grades from almost-clear to nearly-solid, and dedicated breeders select the crisp high-contrast patches each generation. Keep one pattern per tank and they will color up within months.
Beginner-friendly. Extremely peaceful; groups of 10 or more.
Aim for 18–26 °C. Stable 18–26 °C; very tolerant of water chemistry; 18–26 °C stable range.
Full size is 2–2.5 cm. Minimum tank: 20 L, with open swimming space along its bottom — grazing plants and hardscape habits.
Algae and biofilm grazer; color foods keep hues intense. It forages naturally over fine inert gravel or shrimp-safe sand, so let some food reach the bottom.
Extremely peaceful. Recommended tankmates: Other Neocaridina davidi morphs — Interbreed; rili pattern degrades fastest in mixed tanks, Small rasboras and tetras — Adults safe; dense moss for shrimplets, Otocinclus catfish — Peaceful algae partner. Avoid Copper-based medications — Lethal to all invertebrates, Other color/pattern N. davidi — Mixing erodes the crisp piebald pattern, Predatory fish — Shrimp are prey.
Comes from Selective-bred form of the East Asian Neocaridina: any stable freshwater community aquarium. Expect gentle current and moderate oxygen.
Breeds freely in freshwater like the species. Clutches of 20-30 eggs hatch after ~3 weeks as miniature adults; expect a spread of rili grades in each batch, and select high-contrast juveniles if you want show-quality lines.. Females are larger and deeper-bodied, the transparent window making the green egg mass easy to watch; males slimmer with sharper red patches..