Crustaceans with long bodies, long antennae and thin legs, which swim forward with paddles under the tail and flick backwards to escape. Thousands of species live in the sea and fresh water.
Quick answers
What is it?Crustacean
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Shrimp are farmed on a huge scale: about 440 billion farmed shrimp are slaughtered each year.
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Several kinds are kept in home aquariums, such as cherry and Amano shrimp.
Do people eat it?Yes
One of the most popular shellfish, widely caught or farmed.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatOpen ocean, Coast, Rivers & lakes
ColoursPink, Grey
SizeTiny
Legs10
Covered inShell
Lives ingroups
Lives for1–6 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Most coasts and estuaries, plus rivers and lakes.
- What it eats
- Feeds near the seafloor.
Did you know
The pistol shrimp's claw snaps loud enough to stun a fish.
The pistol shrimp’s claw snap fires a bubble at 90 km/h, and colonies are loud enough to disrupt sonar.
Often confused with
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