01/05/2026
The Purebred Beauty of Pure Line Shrimp
Pure Line shrimp mean that the genetic makeup is pure, the bloodline is unmixed, and they are completely purebred. This means that the shrimp can only produce pure red bee shrimp (Pure Red Line) or pure black bee shrimp (Pure Black Line), and not golden shrimp.
Aquarium enthusiasts often misunderstand the difference between "beautiful" bee shrimp and "Pure Line." "Pure Line" refers to shrimp that have been selectively bred over a long period and many generations. The truth is, in world-renowned shrimp farms in Japan and Taiwan, bee shrimp are bred for 5-7 years. They only keep the best individuals; the less desirable ones are moved to lower-grade tanks.
Pure Line shrimp are classified based on shell thickness and pattern, arranged by name. For example, 3S could be Mosura or Crown Head. There are also Pure Line shrimp with three stripes on their backs (three bands or 1S) but with thick shells and white legs, which are also considered high-grade Pure Line.
The advantages of Pure Line shrimp are that they are usually slightly larger than regular bee shrimp, have superior coloration (whiter and more evenly pigmented without breaking), and most importantly, possess a purebred gene pool. However, they require much stricter environmental conditions and care compared to bee shrimp because of prolonged inbreeding – making it difficult to add other good gene sources (and therefore more expensive). Nevertheless, subsequent generations usually retain the characteristics of their parent shrimp.
So, are PRL and PBL shrimp difficult to raise? They are bee shrimp but have stricter requirements than bees in an aquatic environment, so they are only suitable for experienced hobbyists; beginners should not start with this type.
Pureline breeders often follow specific criteria, such as focusing solely on red (like Crimson Japan, Ebi-ten, and Kurozawa) or focusing solely on white (like Benibachi , Nishiki). These are some of the world's most famous top breeders.
Regarding SSS grade shrimp, the quickest way to create this type is to crossbreed 1S, 2S with Golden shrimp. However, the next generation will have color distortion, and there's a higher percentage of Golden shrimp instead of Bee shrimp. Therefore, breeders or Pure Line shrimp enthusiasts in general are very wary of Golden shrimp. Golden shrimp caused a sensation about 5 years ago when this mutation was first created. A beautiful Golden shrimp at that time cost around $1500-$2000 per shrimp. Later, during the long breeding process, their disadvantages were discovered, and therefore the price gradually decreased.
Credits to Paul Hsu for this beautiful PRL