One of the biggest problems in the aquarium hobby is the release of non-native species into local waters. Many times these species will die off quickly, but sometimes they will establish a large population and all but eliminate the native populations.

Karen Hopkins wrote about this problem in a recent article found on the Scientific American website.

“Invading Species Carrying Parasites Have Healthy Appetites

An invading species that harbors parasites may have a bigger predatory impact on its new environment than invaders that are parasite-free. Karen Hopkin reports

Invasive species can decrease biodiversity and drive resident species to the brink of extinction. But how do these interlopers fare so well in unfamiliar territory? One idea is that they’ve escaped their enemies, for example, the parasites that keep

them in check on their home turf. But a study in the journal Biology Letters suggests that notion doesn’t always stand up. Because at least one kind of invasive shrimp is an even bigger pest when it has a parasite on board. “

This article is about the Fairy Shrimp that is harboring a parasite. Fairy Shrimp are not commonly kept in the home aquarium, but the problem is real for native shrimp species in Hawaii. They have an invasive Neocaridina sp. that has taken over their waters and almost eliminated the local populations.