Tiger shrimps have became popular ever since the discovery of Orange Eye Blue Tiger(OEBT) shrimps.
The distinct stripes of the blue tigers are so beautiful and the base color of the shrimps being blue is also very unique. To top it off, the color of the eye being golden/orange is just amazing!
These beauties have gone through little mutation and remains most of it's original form from the wild. By little mutation, it would mean the shade of blue of the shrimp or eye color. In the past, these shrimps comes with either silver eyes or golden/orange eyes. However, due to demand of golden/orange eyes, silver eyes are culled out and are extremely rare in the market right now.
They go by the scientific name of Caridina cantonesis.
They have been sighted in the wild in some parts of China. These shrimps from the wild live in higher pH and higher gH water. They are usually found in small rivers on mountains.
These unique shrimp can have a rustic red color as they mature, and some hobbyist do breed these rustic red OEBT selectively.
Tiger shrimps tend to be more aggressive by nature, you can see this during feeding as they tend to snatch the food from your other shrimps more aggressively.
Through years of selectively breeding, some breeders have decided to intensify the blue till the stripes can't be seen and hence, the creation of Royal Blue Tiger Shrimps.
These royal blues comes with a bright and deep blue color, almost like a sapphire shrimp. Through many years of inbreeding, the percentage of offsprings being royal blue now is very high. However, you would still get the occasion OEBT from them. Some have gotten the blue so dark that it looks almost black, and named it black tiger shrimp.
The blue of the royal blue shrimp just looks so amazing you would definitely want to get your hands on them! I did mention before, tiger shrimps have been acclimatise to be able to survive with your CRS, and this sparked the evolution of Pinto shrimps and all other amazing variant now.
Tiger shrimps used to be kept in extreme pH and gH levels. I would say almost 99% of them have been acclimatise to be able to live in your CRS water parameters. So if you are feeling curious and would like to try out some crossbreeding, you know what to do ;)
That's all folks and happy shrimping!