Familia: Atyidae
Gamba Vampiro: Atya gabonensis, filtradora de 8-13 cm de los rápidos de África occidental con patas en abanico. Necesita corriente fuerte, mucho oxígeno y 22-28 °C; pacífica, nocturna, vive más de 5 años.
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.
Nivel medio: la estabilidad del agua importa más que el equipo. Very peaceful — entirely filter-feeding. Solitary or a pair, each with its own perch.
Mantén el agua a 22–28 °C. 22–28 °C stable range. Stable 22–28 °C; never below 20 °C.
De adulto mide 8–13 cm. Vive anchored in current, fan-feeding on outflow, así que 80 L o más.
Filter feeder; needs powdered or fine suspended foods daily. Dos pequeñas comidas al día.
Sí, con criterio. Very peaceful — entirely filter-feeding — combínalo con 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. Aleja 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.
Su hábitat natural es West Africa — fast rivers from Senegal to Congo, en fast-flowing rivers where it filter-feeds on rocks.
En acuario: 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..