About Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier, 1904)
Neocaridina davidi, commonly called cherry shrimp, is a freshwater shrimp native to Taiwan, eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam, and it is sold worldwide in the aquatic pet trade. This species is omnivorous, and its natural native habitats are inland water bodies including lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. N. davidi can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, and it has become invasive in thermally polluted waterways in Japan, the United States, Poland, and Germany. The invasive presence of this shrimp is thought to come from the release of captive pet individuals. Wild-type naturally colored N. davidi have mottled brown bodies, but the species has been selectively bred to develop many different color morphs, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, white, and clear, among others. The widespread popularity of the red morph is what gave N. davidi the common name "cherry shrimp". N. davidi does not have a distinct larval stage, reaches sexual maturity in 30 days, has a typical lifespan of 1 to 2 years, and grows to approximately 3 to 4 centimeters long when mature.
