Shrimps

Shrimp

Shrimps live in all habitats from freshwater lakes to salt marshes to the deep ocean. The illustration at right shows a "Grass Shrimp, " however, there are too many types of shrimps to even begin to list them. Shrimps grow from 1" to 8", depending on the species.

Most numerous in our inshore waters are tiny Shore Shrimps or Grass Shrimps, Palaemonetes spp. which are similar to the picture, but only 2" long, and transparent or largely so.

Shrimp
Shrimp

Shore Shrimps are extremely common. Small individuals may be completely transparent, while larger ones may be camouflaged or striped. They are generally found clinging to pilings and rocks, or in eelgrass and seaweed, or other structure.

Shrimp
There are several species of Shore Shrimps, but a magnifying glass is needed to tell them apart. All have pointed heads, bug eyes, arched backs, and two pairs of claws.
Shrimp
A different sort - the Sand Shrimp Crangon septemspinosa.
Shrimp

Sand Shrimps occur in small numbers among the much more common Shore Shrimps, from which they are easily differentiated by their blunt heads. They also have much more flattened bodies and move differently. Sand Shrimps grow to 2 3/4 "; large specimens are eaten in Europe as prawns.

All of these small shrimps feed mainly on algae.

Shrimp

Mantis Shrimps (right) are not true shrimps. These 10" predators have powerful pinching forelegs which can lacerate a finger. They have flattened bodies and 8 pairs of legs altogether, but most are small and weak. Mantis Shrimps are secretive burrowers in mud bottoms from coastal shallows to the deep. They are seldom seen but are reportedly good eating.

A Striped Bass I cleaned once proved to have a belly full of finger-sized mantis shrimps - the only time I have ever seen them around here.


Fishing vessel Susan Rose was bound from her home port of Port Judith, Rhode Island to Manasquan to begin fluke fishing off New Jersey. Instead, just before 5AM * Friday November 17, 2023, she ran aground approximately 350 yards ** south of the inlet centerline. All four crew were safely gotten off. After de-fueling and de-watering, she was successfully pulled off the beach on the second attempt, at about 2AM Sunday morning, after rolling in the rough surf for almost two days. The vessel rapidly filled with water, capsized and sank, a few hundred yards ** off the beach, in approximately 50 feet of water. Again, everyone was gotten off safely.

* about 90 minutes after low tide
** news reporters said half a mile, but ... well, reporters

Printed from njscuba.net