Ghost Shrimp care guide
Ghost Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) — minimum tank 20 L, temperature 20-28 °C, pH 6.5-8.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Ghost Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) is a small palaemonid shrimp from the south-eastern United States, valued for an almost completely transparent body that exposes internal organs and a visible digestive tract. It is one of the most widely sold inexpensive freshwater shrimp.
Taxonomy
- Family: Palaemonidae
- Genus: Palaemonetes
- Scientific name: Palaemonetes paludosus
- Common synonyms: Glass Shrimp, Grass Shrimp
Habitat
Native to shallow vegetated freshwater habitats — swamps, ditches, ponds and slow streams — of Florida, Georgia, Alabama and other south-eastern states. Occurs over leaf litter and soft sediment among dense submerged vegetation.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 20 L (5.3 US gal)
- Adult size: 3-5 cm
- Temperature: 20-28 °C (68-82 °F)
- pH: 6.5-8
- GH: 3-15 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Lifespan: 1-2 years
Diet
An opportunistic omnivore that scavenges plant material, detritus and small invertebrates. In aquaria it accepts sinking pellets, algae wafers, blanched vegetables and small portions of frozen bloodworm or brine shrimp.
Compatibility
Peaceful but more active than dwarf shrimp; can be kept in colonies of ten or more in planted tanks with small peaceful tank mates such as small rasboras, Pygmy Corydoras and Endlers. Avoid larger predatory fish; very small fry can themselves become snacks for the larger shrimp.
Breeding
Reproduces in fresh water without an obligate larval saltwater phase. Females carry green-grey eggs under the pleopods for about three weeks; larvae are tiny and free-swimming and require very small live food (infusoria, microworms) for the first days before metamorphosis.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. Wild populations are abundant across the south-eastern United States.
Ghost Shrimp Breeding Guide (Palaemonetes paludosus)
Overview
Palaemonetes paludosus, the riverine grass shrimp sold as ghost shrimp, is a freshwater species. According to Animal Diversity Web it has been found in brackish water but shows no evidence of persisting there, so unlike some coastal congeners it is treated as a strictly freshwater dweller. Crucially, it passes through a free-swimming larval (zoea) stage, which makes its breeding distinctly harder than that of dwarf shrimp whose young hatch as miniature adults.
Sexing
Females are recognised once berried, carrying a cluster of developing eggs attached to the abdominal pleopods (swimmerets); the female fans the eggs to oxygenate and cleans them to prevent fouling. Egg-carrying is therefore the clearest practical sign of a female ready to reproduce.
Breeding Conditions
Breeding occurs over a wide temperature range, with reproduction documented between roughly 18 and 33 °C; in warm regions such as Florida the shrimp breed year-round. Stable freshwater conditions are sufficient for the adults to spawn, since brackish water is not required for this species.
Berried Females & Larvae
A female produces relatively few eggs over her life cycle, on the order of 8 to 85, and carries them for up to two months. Eggs hatch after an incubation of about 12-14 days at 26-28 °C. The young emerge as free-swimming zoea larvae and pass through three larval stages before maturing.
Larval Care
Development from hatching to maturity takes two to three months when water temperatures exceed 26 °C, with cooler temperatures delaying maturation. The species has a short, roughly one-year life cycle. Because the larvae are tiny and free-swimming, rearing them is the main obstacle; a heavily planted, established tank with abundant microscopic food gives the larvae their best chance.
Challenges
The larval zoea stage is the critical bottleneck: the larvae are vulnerable to predation, starvation, and water-quality problems, and survival is low without dedicated care. Note also that other Palaemonetes species mixed into trade shipments may require slightly brackish water to survive their first days, so identity should be confirmed before relying on pure freshwater for larvae.