Ghost (Glass) Shrimp-Freshwater

Ghost Shrimp, or Glass Shrimp, are a relatively small invertebrate only reaching a maximum size of 1″. Their bodies are transparent, and an orange to yellow colored spot is visible in the center of the tail. The body is segmented, and features ten sets of legs. The first four sets have tiny claws that aid the shrimp in feeding. Ghost shrimp are an excellent food source for many types of both freshwater and saltwater fish. They are great for getting hard to feed fish such as seahorses, lionfish Grunts and newly born sharks to begin feeding.

The Ghost shrimp are omnivores that will consume algae, detritus and left over food. If insufficient food is present, supplement with a quality flake food or pellet.

Bay Ghost Shrimp

The bay ghost shrimp’s diet consists of plankton and detritus.

They range in size from 4-5 inches and live in the inter-tidal zone or mudflats from Alaska to Baja California. The shrimp burrow into the floor of the mudflats, sometimes as much as 30 inches. When they are creating their burrows, they spew out sediment, which can then cover and destroy
beds of young oysters.

An interesting fact, bay ghost shrimp can survive without oxygen for as long as six days.

Other animals such as pea crabs or snapping shrimp might also inhabit the ghost shrimps habitat. They do this to look for leftover food or hide from predators.

Fairy Shrimp

The fairy shrimp is traditionally known for swimming on its back.

There are different types of fairy shrimp. For example, Buchanans fairy shrimp are small crustaceans of 2-3 cm in length and are related to brine shrimp.

The eggs can lay dormant in a dry lake bed for years, until conditions are suitable, and then the eggs hatch.

They feed on algae.
Brine Shrimp

Brine shrimp are also called “Sea Monkeys”
Brine shrimp are tiny - just 10 millimeters long - but they play a big part of the salt pond ecosystem.

Brine shrimp thrive in salt ponds where salinity measures 80 to 190 parts per thousand (8 to 19 percent), where there are plenty of algae to eat and few predators and competitors.