New Venezuelan fishes

[Silurus]

http://www.salon.com/tech/wire/2003/08/ ... index.html

[S. Allen]

so does anyone have any info on why the pseudopalaemon shrimps are never imported(at least to my knowledge)? I was searching around, seems to be about a dozen described species as well as this new one, I'd think they might be popular in the aquarium.

[Silurus]

Because most freshwater shrimps are notoriously devoid of color and the market for them is not large enough to justify importing them in large numbers.
There are tons of Macrobrachium (the Asian equivalent of Pseudopalaemon), but they all look almost identical and are usually a translucent gray (OK, a very few have some red on their pincers, but that's about it). No market for these guys either (not unless you count M. rosenbergii, which is widely cultured for food).

[Shagreen]

Because most freshwater shrimps are notoriously devoid of color and the market for them is not large enough to justify importing them in large numbers.
There are tons of Macrobrachium (the Asian equivalent of Pseudopalaemon), but they all look almost identical and are usually a translucent gray (OK, a very few have some red on their pincers, but that's about it). No market for these guys either (not unless you count M. rosenbergii, which is widely cultured for food).

I strongly disagree with this dismissively generalized sentiment (re coloration). The following specimens, I daresay, possess more than "some red" on their chelae:

Macrobrachium dayanum.

Macrobrachium sp. "Mexiko Papalaopan".

Macrobrachium sp. "Mexiko".

Macrobrachium carcinus.

Macrobrachium hankocki.

Granted, the North American market constitutes a veritable backwater of the freshwater crustacean trade (interest is primarily centered about continental Europe - namely Germany - and Japan).

[Shane]

HH,
I can not access the link. It seems to be a link to an advertisement.
I do not know of any collectors in South America that collect shrimps for the aquarium trade. I just do not think that the increasing popularity of these animals (esp. in the aquatic gardner community) has been passed from the hobby to the collectors.
Collectors tend to be very risk adverse. They are usually given lists that they use to guide their collection and fear they will not be paid if they collect something not on the list. Since every holding bin of fish represents money it just does not make sense, from their optic, to fill a holding bin with something they may not be paid for.
-Shane

[sidguppy]

Thanx for the insight on this Shane!

now if only I can contact a couple of collectors that I actually WILL pay them for a barrel full of Trichomycterids and other "unwanted" critters, like Callichthys callichthys....

[Shagreen]

HH,
I can not access the link. It seems to be a link to an advertisement.
I do not know of any collectors in South America that collect shrimps for the aquarium trade. I just do not think that the increasing popularity of these animals (esp. in the aquatic gardner community) has been passed from the hobby to the collectors.
Collectors tend to be very risk adverse. They are usually given lists that they use to guide their collection and fear they will not be paid if they collect something not on the list. Since every holding bin of fish represents money it just does not make sense, from their optic, to fill a holding bin with something they may not be paid for.
-Shane

I do (indirectly) know of several Peruvian contacts who have shipped Macrobrachium spp. to private individuals in the United States (as outlined here).

[Silurus]

Shane,

This thread is so old, I am not even sure what the original link was any more.

I think it originally led to something like this:

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=6225