By Michael Haesler

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**Neocaridina Orange Eyes**

Dwarf shrimp of the genus Neocaridina have firmly established themselves in the aquarium scene. Unlike representatives of the genus Caridina, Neocaridina are somewhat less demanding and can usually be kept without issue in tap water (although there are exceptions that confirm the rule). Thanks to the work of passionate breeders, there is now a wide range of colorful, vibrant lines with stable inheritance. A part of this is offered in our Standard Neocaridina category.

Additionally, we are excited to be the first online shop to offer a very special category with many young, still unknown breeding lines: Neocaridina with orange eyes (OE)! Here you can learn more about their appearance, inheritance, and new breeds we would like to introduce to you!

**Appearance**
The orange eyes provide a wonderful contrast against the colorful body. Characteristically, these eyes in Neocaridina have a dark spot in the center, which may indicate residual pigments. We have published a detailed report on these animals in the Caridina Magazine (Issue 2/2022).

The name "orange eyes/OE" often receives criticism as a designation for the orange eyes, as this abbreviation has long been a fixed term for the bright orange eyes of Caridina. For this reason, we would like to clearly point out that Neocaridina OE are not comparable to those of the tiger shrimp (see above). However, there are also Caridina that possess orange eyes with a black spot, similar to those of Neocaridina. Thus, the orange eyes of the white Caridina babaulti "albino" are called "red eye." The well-known breeder Skyfish from Taiwan, however, also refers to the orange eyes of Caridina dennerli as "golden/orange eye," despite the central black spot.

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