Grass Shrimp | Palaemonetes paludosus

Grass Shrimp

Palaemonetes paludosus

Overview

The official common name for this species is the Grass Shrimp and its scientific name is Palaemonetes paludosus. It does have many other names including Ghost Shrimp, Glass Shrimp, Freshwater River Shrimp and others. I recommend trying out the Grass Shrimp as your very first shrimp. It will give you an incite on dwarf shrimp and you will know whether or not you will want to continue the shrimp hobby and move on to other hobby shrimp. Remember that this is a natural food source in the wild so any predatory fish will definitely devour them fast.

Background

Their origin is in the USA, primarily freshwater rivers and lakes of the southern states. I have seen these in the wild in Everglades National Park which is very close to where I live. They are a very important food source for many creatures in the wild. The freshwater Grass Shrimp is sometimes the very first shrimp that hobbyists keep. This was my first shrimp actually. I purchased this shrimp because they sold it in my local fish store 12 for $1, very cheap. I bought 12 of them and took them home. They are sold as feeder shrimp for either fresh or saltwater fish and are not sold as hobby shrimp. However, they are pretty cool shrimp for hobbyists. They are very active and are larger than most other shrimp in the hobby.

Sexing

Sexing the Grass Shrimp is easy. The females almost always have a green saddle or eggs underneath the belly. Another way to sex this species is by the high ridge, or arc, along the top of the tail. The females have a very pronounced ridge whereas the males do not. Females are also larger than males as with most dwarf shrimp.

Breeding

There is a common misconception that the Grass Shrimp requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. This is untrue as freshwater is just fine for breeding. I believe that some people think that this species requires brackish water because it has a larval stage in the breeding process. Larval stage meaning that the shrimplets hatch from the egg before being fully developed. Other shrimp such as the Red Cherry Shrimp fully develop inside of the egg and when hatched they are small versions of the adults.

It seems to be difficult to breed the Grass Shrimp in captivity though even if it is capable in freshwater only. I have done some research and the larvae of the Grass Shrimp requires special feeding that cannot be found in the freshwater aquarium unless introduced with specialized food. The larvae will apparently starve and die if not properly fed. I have not attempted to breed the Grass Shrimp as I have only kept them in the very beginning of my shrimp keeping hobby for a couple of months. They died rather soon even though the reported lifespan is just over a year.

The eggs of the Grass Shrimp are green. Below is a photo of a female Grass Shrimp with a green saddle on her back indicating

High Death Rate

A lot of hobbyists who start out with the Grass Shrimp report deaths after recently obtaining them. There could be many reasons why a shrimp could die in an aquarium especially if it is your first time keeping shrimp. The Grass Shrimp is very hardy and can be hard to kill.

The main reason for rapid deaths are due to mishandling and poor care when these shrimp are captured and shipped to local fish stores. Since the Grass Shrimp are mainly sold as feeder shrimp they are not cared for as they are considered soon to die anyhow. If you acquire this species be prepared for a possible quick die-off of several of them if not all. Inspect the shrimp you are getting from your local fish store before you take them home. Any "milky" coloration is a bad thing. Also observe their behaviour. Grass Shrimp are extremely active when healthy.

Coloration

This species has the natural defense of camouflage protection. It is almost completely transparent allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. Do not be surprised if you cannot find these shrimp in your aquarium even though they could be right in front of your eyes. Sometimes you just can't see them. That is why they are most commonly referred to as Ghost or Glass Shrimp.