Common Grass Shrimp
Palaemonetes pugio
The common grass shrimp grows to 1.5 inches longs, with a nearly transparent body and a serrated "horn" over its eyes. (Photo courtesy Astro/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)
Fish and invertebrates such as grass shrimp caught by a crab scraper and oyster dredge are held in a jar of water onboard the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) vessel before being transferred to CBF's aquarium on Smith Island, Md., on Oct. 28, 2014. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) USAGE REQUEST INFORMATION The Chesapeake Bay Program's photographic archive is available for media and non-commercial use at no charge. To request permission, send an email briefly describing the proposed use to CBP Multimedia Manager Will Parson (wparson@chesapeakebay.net). Please do not attach jpegs. Instead, reference the corresponding Flickr URL of the image. A photo credit mentioning the Chesapeake Bay Program is mandatory. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in any way that suggests approval or endorsement of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Requestors should also respect the publicity rights of individuals photographed, and seek their consent if necessary.
A grass shrimp resides at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, Va., on Dec. 30, 2018. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
The common grass shrimp has a delicate, nearly transparent body with a distinctive serrated “horn” over the eyes. It lives in shallow waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.
Appearance
The common grass shrimp has a segmented, nearly transparent body that is compressed on either side. It has a pointed, serrated “horn” that extends over its eyes. Its first two pairs of walking legs have claws. The shrimp grows to 1.5 inches in length.
Feeding
Grass shrimp forage for worms, algae and tiny crustaceans.
Predators
Small fish such as sunfish and killifish feed on grass shrimp.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Usually spawns in summer, when water temperatures warm. Females must molt before mating. The female carries her eggs in a brood pouch, visible through the shrimp’s transparent body. Eggs hatch into free-swimming larvae after 12-20 days. Larvae go through several developmental phases over the first 1-2 months of life. Grass shrimp live approximately one year.
Did You Know?
- The common grass shrimp is the most abundant of the four species of grass shrimp known to live in the Bay.
- They often carry a parasitic isopod, Probopyrus pandalicola, which looks like a bulge near the shrimp’s gill area.
- Grass shrimp are an important ecological indicator of human impacts on estuaries and other water bodies.
Sources and Additional Information
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
- Animal Diversity Web: Palaemonetes pugio – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Palaemonetes pugio – Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
1.5 inches in length
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Habitat
Shallow waters, often among bay grass beds. May move to warmer, deeper waters in winter.
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Range
Found throughout most of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers.
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Diet
Feeds on worms, algae and tiny crustaceans
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Lifespan
1 year -
Status
Stable
