Forum topic 01 — Start here: Three different shrimp trees
A species phylogeny describes evolutionary relationships inferred from molecular and morphological evidence. A breeder pedigree describes crosses and selections actually undertaken by individual breeders. A trait inheritance model predicts offspring phenotypes only when the inheritance mechanism is supported by breeding data.
Do not conflate commercially named strains with taxonomic species, and do not infer parentage from a similar-looking pattern. A tree with multiple founders and repeated backcrosses is more properly a network.
Evidence: Caridina bee/tiger taxonomy: Klotz & von Rintelen (2014), .
Forum topic 02 — Caridina foundation families and Taiwan Bee
Bee shrimp associated with Caridina logemanni include Crystal Black and Crystal Red selected lines. Tiger shrimp associated with C. mariae have distinctive tiger banding and include selectively bred blue and orange-eye variants. The commercial Taiwan Bee complex includes names such as King Kong, Panda, Wine Red, Red Ruby and Blue Bolt. These are breeder varieties, not independent formally described species.
Provisional breeding-family diagram (solid arrows here indicate breeder-reported breeding relationships, not a sequenced pedigree)
├─ Crystal Black / Crystal Red and PRL-type selections
Forum topic 03 — Hybrid and designer Caridina
Breeder terminology commonly describes Tibee as Bee × Tiger offspring and TaiTibee as a Tibee lineage backcrossed toward Taiwan Bee. Pinto, Fancy Tiger, Galaxy, Fishbone and Boa are patterned breeding-line families with diverse histories, not universal single-parent genetic formulas.
Caution: The lower branches have uncertain, line-specific founder history and are not a proof that every marketed Boa descended from one particular Pinto.
Forum topic 04 — Neocaridina color-family lines
Most colorful aquarium Neocaridina varieties are Neocaridina davidi. Same-species color lines normally interbreed, but trade names are not proof of shared pedigree.
├─ red-selected families → Cherry / Sakura / Fire Red / Red Rili
├─ dark-selected families → Chocolate / Black Rose / Carbon Rili
Forum topic 05 — Pigment biology and molecular research
Visible hue depends on chromatophore pigment cells, spatial distributions of pigments, reflectance/structural properties, and physiological/environmental influences. A 2020 ornamental Neocaridina transcriptomic comparison identified 4,706 differentially expressed genes between sampled color morphs and developed five microsatellite markers. These are expression differences and markers, not 4,706 proven color-causative genes.
The taxonomic name used by a particular study must be checked before transferring findings directly to other N. davidi stock. A pigmentation-related candidate is not a validated marker-assisted breeding assay for a named aquarium line.
Forum topic 06 — Inheritance, carriers and crossing probabilities
A hypothetical single-locus recessive model uses BB (dark), Bb (dark carrier), bb (recessive red). Carrier × carrier (Bb × Bb) gives 25% BB, 50% Bb, 25% bb in expectation, if that model holds. This model is not scientifically confirmed as a universal explanation of Crystal, Taiwan Bee or Neocaridina commercial strains.
Advanced color and pattern traits may be polygenic and environmentally modulated. Do not publish precise cross predictions without multi-generation pedigree/offspring counts. Log sire, dam, breeder, line ID, generation, surviving offspring, phenotypes, dates and imaging.
Forum topic 07 — Compatibility, records, and research requests
Documented hobby crosses: Crystal Red × Crystal Black Bee, Bee × Tiger (Tibee), Tibee × Taiwan Bee (TaiTibee), same-species N. davidi color lines.
Not established as viable routine crosses: Caridina × Neocaridina, Bee × Sulawesi Cardinal, Bee × Amano. Belonging to the same genus alone is insufficient evidence of compatibility.
Proposed site data fields: taxon, display name and aliases, strain name, breeder/region, founding animals, cross type, parent line IDs, phenotype, claimed genotype, actual marker result, generation, breeding observations, citations per claim, confidence label, licensed photo status, and conflicting ancestry claims.
Public research references
Listed research leads are not automatically supporting evidence for every individual claim.