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Rare Taiwan shrimp sell for US$830, attract Japan buyers

Black King Kong shrimp are displayed at the 2009 Taiwan International Aquarium Expo in Taipei yesterday. PHOTO: NICKY LOH, REUTERS

Rare tiny black and white shrimp raised in Taiwan are selling for as much as US$830 a piece to collectors in Japan, despite short life spans and problems breeding, officials at an exhibition said yesterday.

The black King Kong shrimp (黑金剛), about 2,000 of which are being raised by just four Taiwanese breeders armed with technology and reservoirs of patience, sustain interest among buyers because of their novelty in aquariums and the off-chance they will breed.

“It’s the Japanese character to collect odd or rare stuff, but their success with the shrimp isn’t too high,” Taiwan Ornamental Fish Association (中華水族協會) secretary-general Sharman Chou (周旭明) said.

Black King Kong shrimp, centimeter-long critters known for black shells with white spots, live for about 16 months.

BREEDING

Once native to southern China but modified by breeders in Japan and finally Taiwan, which is the only source today, the shrimp requires pure fresh water at a fixed temperature to shed its shell every few weeks and remain fit enough to breed.

“It’s the Japanese character to collect odd or rare stuff, but their success with the shrimp isn’t too high.” — Sharman Chou, secretary-general of the Taiwan Ornamental Fish Association

Prices vary from US$30 to US$830, said Chung Kuo-nan (鍾國南), publicity head with the Council of Agriculture’s Fisheries Agency, which encourages breeding the shrimp because farms take up only small plots of land and generate little pollution. They sell at auctions and online.

DISPLAY

To raise the black King Kong shrimp’s profile, the agency’s Taiwan Ornamental Fish Exibition in Taipei displayed a cooler-sized tank for a steady crowd, including many Japanese.

Breeder Wu Yi-chin from southern Taiwan said she was keen on the Japanese market after 30 years of raising King Kong shrimp but that breeding the creatures had not been easy.

“We have to do other business, including different kinds of tropical fish,” Wu said at the exhibition.
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