Of Colors & Grading in CRS

[avex30]

this photo somehow look like wine red to me

Super Crystal red

[Navanod]

After much head scratching and staring at countless images of shrimps, I can only say it’s really a very difficult task to grade CRS’s color. An ascending quality grading method such as the one devised for Cherry to Fire red cannot fully capture the complexity of color in CRS.

The proposed grading will instead be of a deductive nature, where we start with the perfect specimen and then lower its grade based on flaws or defects spotted. Afterall, Singaporeans are all experts at pointing out faults.

The main difference about this method compared to the point system, is that the final grade is decided by the lowest denominator, or the worst flaws spotted, so to say.
Each grade would have about 4 listed defects but just having 1 of the listed will be enough to drop the grading to that grade.

Having multiple defects within a grade (or from a higher grade for that matter) would not lower the grading further but would obviously impact appearances more, potentially lowering its value.

Enough talk. Here’s my humble proposed grading system, with some example pictures.
I’m very sure that experienced graders would be able to find balance issues with the flaws or proposed additional flaws or replacement of some flaws. Please feel free to discuss and advice.


Grade 1 characteristics:
- Fully colored, without any cracks or gaps, including antennule, rostrum, maxillipeds & pereopods. Pleopods colors are a plus but not critical.
- Rostrum, carapace, abdomen and tail must be solid color and opaque enough to hide the saddle, guts and any eggs.
- Any pigmented patterns must be clear and well defined from the white, without any spill over or "fade in fade out" effects.
- Any "yellowing" or "browning" of the white is considered spillover of red and black pigments and will fail grade 1.
- Overly transparent pigments of red or black will also fail this grade.





Grade 2 flaws:
- Up to 50% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods.
- Abdomen slightly translucent, eggs visible.
- Slight spill over or irregular edges of pigmented patterns.
- Very slight tint of yellow/orange/brown covering not more than 25% of the body.



Irregular edges and slight tint.


50% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods.


eggs visible

Abdomen slightly translucent. Very slight tint. Less than 50% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods.


Grade 3 flaws:
- 50% to 80% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods.
- Obvious spill over and messy edges of pigmented patterns.
- Slight tint of yellow/orange/brown covering up to 50% of the body.
- Saddle and digestive tract visible.



50% to 80% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods.


Obvious spill over and messy edges of pigmented patterns. Digestive tract visible.


Slight tint of yellow/orange/brown covering up to 50% of the body. Digestive tract visible.


Grade 4 flaws:
- More than 80% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods including totally colorless maxillipeds or pereopods.
- Slight translucency in antennules or rostrum.
- A few obvious dark tinted spots of yellow/orange/brown on body.
- More than 50% of body covered with slight tint of yellow/orange/brown.


More than 80% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods. Note that as there're cracks, this is actually a grade 5. Just to show the legs as an example


More than 80% transparent/translucent maxillipeds or pereopods including totally colorless. More than 50% of body covered with slight tint of yellow/orange/brown.

[Navanod]

Grade 5 flaws (from this color grade and below, is not considered good colors expected of pedigree lines):
- Minor cracks in the body colors not exceeding 20%.
- Many obvious dark tinted spots of yellow/orange/brown on body.
- Colorless antennules or rostrum.
- Slightly translucent pigmented areas of red/black.


Minor cracks in the body colors not exceeding 20%. Many obvious dark tinted spots of yellow/orange/brown on body. Slightly translucent pigmented areas of red/black.


Minor cracks in the body colors not exceeding 20%.


Minor cracks in the body colors not exceeding 20%. Note that without the cracks, it would’ve upgraded to grade 4 for having 80% translucent legs.


Many obvious dark tinted spots of yellow/orange/brown on body


Colorless antennules or rostrum. Minor cracks in the body colors not exceeding 20%.


Grade 6 flaws:
- Moderate cracks in body colors not exceeding 50%.
- Wide spread dark tinted areas.
- Head translucent, internal organs visible.
- Nearly transparent pigmented areas of red/black.


Moderate cracks in body colors. Head translucent, internal organs visible. Nearly transparent pigmented areas of red/black.


Moderate cracks in body colors not exceeding 50%.


Grade 7 flaws:
- Grading not necessary as anything worse is probably going to end up with the grade B or C pattern shrimps category. See pictures






It should be obvious that this system is far from perfect & it is not meant to be the final word on grading methods. The aim is to have a framework to quickly and roughly group shrimps into a few tiers of grades. Each shrimps can then be assessed separately if necessary based on the types and number of flaws to arrive at its actual worth.
Some hobbyist may favour red legs while others luminous white shells so it is not possible to be overly arbitrary in grading.

There may also be rare instances of an otherwise stunning shrimp being graded poorly due to the nature of how arbitrary and unbalanced this system may be. Eg. A super solid, totally untinted, almost fully covered shrimp with fantastic red and whites gets grade 4 because the rostrum is slightly translucent.

In this case, the shrimp did not exhibit any of the flaws in the grades above it but drops directly to grade 4 from grade 1. An unlikely case since most of the shrimp’s color normally degrades in a certain progressive nature, but not impossible. Under such circumstances, the grader may choose to upgrade the shrimp by 1 or even 2 grades. Some discretions and judgement calls have to be made based on individual cases. I see no way that a system can be created to deal with these exceptions without making it overly complex.

[Navanod]

Please provide some feedbacks.

Too complicated?
Too difficult to grade large number of shrimps quickly?
Need checklist?
Not a fair system?

[Navanod]

I feel like I'm talking to myself but I'm not satisfied with this method...too clumsy and impossible to use for quick grading.
Need to simplify. After all, we only need to focus on grading very good colors. The obviously bad ones will not even pass a casual look, let alone try to pass off as pedigree lines.

Back to the drawing board...

[stormhawk]

Too much things to think about when most people prefer a condensed version, like the chart on the SSS grades for example.

[cheetf]

I feel like I'm talking to myself but I'm not satisfied with this method...too clumsy and impossible to use for quick grading.
Need to simplify. After all, we only need to focus on grading very good colors. The obviously bad ones will not even pass a casual look, let alone try to pass off as pedigree lines.

Back to the drawing board...

You are not talking to yourself, everybody is busy with Chinese New Year.

I think it's a good effort but you are right, it needs to be simplified. Shrimps are small and they run around everywhere, making it difficult to grade them especially in a big group.

[Navanod]

Too much things to think about when most people prefer a condensed version, like the chart on the SSS grades for example.

You are not talking to yourself, everybody is busy with Chinese New Year.

I think it's a good effort but you are right, it needs to be simplified. Shrimps are small and they run around everywhere, making it difficult to grade them especially in a big group.

Indeed, I think I'm going to relook at how earlier suggestions splits the grading into 2 "letters" as well as bring back Eviltrain's +/- idea. Hehehehe.

[Navanod]

How about this?
We take the grading of legs and claws out and make it a simple symbol

Grade 1, Top grade
- Fully solid body with solid red/black and uniform white.

Grade 2
- Fully solid body with slight tint or pattern unevenness.

Grade 3
- Slightly translucent parts, eggs visibles. Moderate tint or pattern unevenness.

Grade 4
- Translucent, internal organs, saddle or digestive tract visible. Obvious tint and pattern overruns.

Grade 5, Rejected grade
- Cracks in color. Would not be considered for pedigree color grading.

For shrimps with poor colors in antennules, maxillipeds & pereopods, a (-) symbol can be attached to the grading.
For shrimps with average colors in antennules, maxillipeds & pereopods, no symbols is attached.
For shrimps with solid colors in antennules, maxillipeds & pereopods, a (+) symbol can be attached to the grading.

[Navanod]

So for example,
This is G1+


This is G1 (without +)


This is G2+


This is G3+


This is G4+


This is G4-


This is G4+


This is G4


This is G5 failed

[eviltrain]

We just use" the example "SSS( colour grade number)+/-" for the over all grading la. Then hor, best is that the seller post the photo too.

[stormhawk]

when you said G5 failed I had a good laugh. Might as well go with GCE O Level grading system - A1 A2, B3 B4, C5 C6 with + and - to denote degree of intensity etc.

[Navanod]

We just use" the example "SSS( colour grade number)+/-" for the over all grading la. Then hor, best is that the seller post the photo too.

Yup, eg. SSS 2+
Simple and good?

when you said G5 failed I had a good laugh. Might as well go with GCE O Level grading system - A1 A2, B3 B4, C5 C6 with + and - to denote degree of intensity etc.

HAHA! Can also, since we'll hardly see C grade patterns showing up anyway.

[hyun007]

We just use" the example "SSS( colour grade number)+/-" for the over all grading la. Then hor, best is that the seller post the photo too.

+1.
Same idea as mine.

[Navanod]

Sounds like we have a draft system to work from then.
The main thing is probably not about how accurate or great or scientific it is, but how practical and acceptable to the majority it is.

Keep your comments coming!

[Navanod]

Oh, for interest sake, here's a link to the K14 grading system. It is heavily based on patterns but some color grading is also taking place. Translation to english is pretty readable.
http://crystal-red.de/aussehen.htm

[silane]

How about this?
We take the grading of legs and claws out and make it a simple symbol

Grade 1, Top grade
- Fully solid body with solid red/black and uniform white.

Grade 2
- Fully solid body with slight tint or pattern unevenness.

Grade 3
- Slightly translucent parts, eggs visibles. Moderate tint or pattern unevenness.

Grade 4
- Translucent, internal organs, saddle or digestive tract visible. Obvious tint and pattern overruns.

Grade 5, Rejected grade
- Cracks in color. Would not be considered for pedigree color grading.

For shrimps with poor colors in antennules, maxillipeds & pereopods, a (-) symbol can be attached to the grading.
For shrimps with average colors in antennules, maxillipeds & pereopods, no symbols is attached.
For shrimps with solid colors in antennules, maxillipeds & pereopods, a (+) symbol can be attached to the grading.

for Crs or Prl?

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

[Navanod]

for Crs or Prl?

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

I'm trying to work from the top down at the moment. So I'm pausing at grade 5, which is the psychologically line that divides PRLs from CRS.
What are you thoughts on feasibility? If it looks workable, then the rest of the grades can be generated.
Looks like it'll be even more layered than the K14, which has 7 tiers.

[huizhong]

very strict and too many criteria to grade. from the pics, some of the grade 2 seem lousier than grade 3, and some grade 3 look prettier than grade 2.

since letters A,S,SS,SSS are already grading patterns, maybe the numbers can focus on colour(intensity and define) only on 2 main parts : body AND legs. easier?

a prl to grade 5 is a little too many i guess? since it is already a prl, i think people expect it to pass off as at least grade 4 standard? lower than that i will have my doubts(whether is it really prl? where is the QC process? ). a pedigree grade 1 prl originated from japan can produce grade 5 so easily? i think it will take many many many generations?
just my newbie opinion. i'm new still.

[ZackZhou]

I'm not trying to cold call this new grading system, however I don't think this is ever going to work out.
1. Local Shrimp hobbyist are still consider new to prls. Very few people dare to venture out to high $$ prls. Most got their prls from breeders like me, NewLife, Alvin, joe, nasty or soonhong for example. What we are selling are consider as low end prls. Although they are prls, they are CHEAP. some people in this case may argue that $30 for a shrimp is already very expensive. But consider to look at the bigger picture. Prls price range from this lowered $30 all the way up to $3000USD. This kind of prls that we are selling DOES NOT worth to be graded in my opinion. I keep prls as well, but honestly I do think that it will ever bother to graded when I selectively breed for another 2 years.

2. Guys, let's get to the ground and face the $$. We all want to get better colour prls. The only thing that is holding us back are $$. Put it more precisely, the idea of acceptance- of buying a single $1000 shrimp. I guess most of us Singaporeans won't feel that a shrimp would worth that much, will we or other family members accepts the fact that one can buy a $1000 shrimp? We can't, and that shows once again Singapore shrimps hobby has not mature yet. Let's face it, judging from navonod's picture reference, anything around G3 WILL cost you a bomb.

3. Anything that will cost you a bomb will show pictures of the actual shrimp itself. So once again there is no need for such grading reference.