Vampire Shrimp – Atya gabonensis

Vampire shrimp - Picture by nanaglen2001

Species name: Atya gabonensis

Common name: African Giant Filter Shrimp,African Fan Shrimp, Vampire Shrimp

Family: Atyidae

Order: Decapoda

Class: Malacostraca

Maximum size: 5-6 inches if proper conditions exist. Usually 4 inches.

Environment: Freshwater

Origin: West Africaand Eastern South America

Temperament: Peaceful

Company: Best kept in community tanks with like size tetra or slightly larger fish. Should not be kept with cichlids or extremely aggressive fish. Will not harm community tank members. Dwarf shrimp can also be housed with this species.

Water parameters: 6.5-7.4 pH, soft to hard water, temperature 74-84 F. No ammonia or nitrites in tank as they are very susceptible to poisoning.

Aquarium setup: Planted aquarium with caves to hide is recommended. Provide this guy some room to move around. 1 shrimp per 10 gallons is recommended.


Feeding: Filter feeder that will filter substrate and cave systems. Readily accepts pellets, crab bites, wafers, and food sticks. It is best to keep a current through the water as they prefer to filter from the water not the substrate however.

Breeding: Breeding is very rare in captivity as is the case with most filter feeding shrimp. Most are wild caught. If you can get them to breed they will establish a territory in a cave or other darkened spot. They are egglayers so look closely throughout the tank.

Vampire shrimp - picture by nanaglen2001

Other Shrimp profiles:

Amano (Yamato) Shrimp
Bamboo Shrimp
Bumble Bee Shrimp
Marble Shrimp
Red Bee Shrimp
Taiwan Shrimp
Tiger Shrimp
White-banded cleaner shrimp