Whisker Shrimp vs Ghost Shrimp | Important Differences

Looking to add some life to your aquarium? Shrimp may be just the thing. But... be sure to choose the right species! Both whisker shrimp and ghost shrimp are commonly sold in aquarium stores, but despite their very similar looks, there are some important differences.

Wondering which one is better for your tank between whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp? Or maybe you bought a shrimp and are now doubting its identity? The Shrimp Farm explains all the (physical) differences!

What is a whisker shrimp?

"Whisker shrimp" is a common name for Macrobrachium lanchesteri, a hump-backed, medium-sized freshwater shrimp or prawn naturally found in Southeast Asia. It's also sometimes used for another species in the genus, Macrobrachium lamarrei, although that one's usually called the Indian whisker shrimp.

Whisker shrimp are considered semi-aggressive. They can make a fascinating addition to your aquarium, but it's important to make sure they're compatible with the rest of your fish and invertebrates.

What is a ghost shrimp?

"Ghost shrimp" is a somewhat confusing denomination that's commonly used for a range of small to medium-sized, hump-backed translucent freshwater shrimp. It's supposed to mostly refer to the genus Palaemonetes, particularly Palaemonetes paludosus. This being said, you can find other shrimp sold as ghost shrimp as well. Whisker shrimp are one of the species commonly mislabeled as ghosts, hence this article!

Palaemonetes paludosus, the "true" ghost shrimp, is also known as glass shrimp or eastern grass shrimp.

Whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp: Physical differences

So: whisker shrimp and ghost shrimp are not the same, and it's important to know the difference so you don't end up buying the wrong shrimp. Unfortunately, whisker shrimp in particular are often mislabeled as ghost shrimp, which can cause trouble in your aquarium. So how do you tell them apart?

No worries, it's easy once you know what to look for.

Size

Between whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp, it's the whiskers that grow the largest. They can reach a length of up to 2.5", whereas ghost shrimp rarely grow to 2". If the shrimp in question looks very chunky, it's probably a whisker shrimp!

Claws

Unsure whether you're dealing with a ghost or whisker shrimp? Take a look at its claws or arms. All shrimp have a pair of special arms with claws on the end they use to pick up food, but given that ghost shrimp are mostly scavengers, theirs are pretty small.

It's different in whisker shrimp, which will catch small prey if they get the chance. Their arms are significantly longer and feature larger claws. So if your shrimp has long grabby hands that surpass the length of its legs, it's likely a member of the genus Macrobrachium rather than Palaemonetes.

Color

Both ghost and whisker shrimp are mostly translucent, which is one of the main reasons they're so commonly mixed up! However, there are some differences that allow you to easily assess which shrimp you're dealing with.

Most importantly, if your shrimp sports bright orange bands on its legs and/or antennae, it's a true ghost (Palaemonetes paludosus). In addition to this, ghost shrimp will usually have a fine dotted pattern, as if they were sprinkled with ground pepper. Whisker shrimp, on the other hand, lack this sprinkling. They usually have a few more solid, uneven lines behind the head.

Did you know? There's another popular translucent aquarium shrimp out there: the Amano shrimp. It lacks the back hump and is the most peaceful of the three. Find out more in the post on Amano shrimp vs ghost shrimp.

Whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp: Aggression level & tankmates

As we've mentioned, one of the reasons it's so important to be able to tell whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp apart is that there's a big difference in their personalities. Funnily enough, ghost shrimp actually have somewhat of a reputation for being semi-aggressive. In reality, mislabeled whisker shrimp are likely to blame for this!

True ghost shrimp, Palaemonetes paludosus, are really quite peaceful. Due to their larger size, they're a little more feisty than Neocaridina dwarf shrimp. Although there's some discussion about keeping them with long-finned species like Betta fish, overall, they're very unlikely to bother their neighbors. They make a good choice for peaceful community aquariums.

Whisker shrimp are definitely not suitable to keep with long-finned tankmates like Betta fish, guppies, or similar. Those long claws are perfect for grabbing slow-moving prey. Macrobrachiums are best only kept with slightly larger and quick species, like barbs (though not so large that the fish will go after the shrimp instead!).

Whisker shrimp don't make a good choice for a general community aquarium. Heck, they don't even like their own kind much, so you should count at least around 5 gallons of water volume for each shrimp to help prevent squabbles.

Whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp: Requirements

Tank size

Both whisker shrimp and ghost shrimp will do well in an aquarium of 10 gallons or up. However, the number of shrimp you can keep varies. While a 10-gal should easily be able to sustain up to 10 ghost shrimp, it's best not to go for more than 2-3 whisker shrimp in a tank this size.

Male whisker shrimp are more territorial than females, although unfortunately it's only really possible to tell the difference between the sexes when a female is carrying eggs (berried).

Diet

Although whisker shrimp will be more interested in live prey than ghost shrimp, both species are omnivores. They're the local janitors in their respective habitats and will eat pretty much anything they come across!

You can feed both ghost and whisker shrimp a varied diet of shrimp food, frozen food, and sinking fish food. The ghosts will appreciate a higher percentage of plant-based foods like algae tablets or nori in their diet, though.

Conclusion

Although the two look similar and are frequently mixed up, it is possible to visually tell the difference between whisker shrimp vs ghost shrimp. Knowing which species you're dealing with is important, because although whisker shrimp are certainly fascinating, they're also not quite as good-natured as ghost shrimp.

Did you know? You can buy ghost shrimp online at The Shrimp Farm. Perfect for your aquarium cleaning crew!