Non Decapod Shrimp
A shrimp seems to be almost any crustacean that isn't a lobster, barnacle, or crab
– Greg JensenA wide variety of non decapod crustaceans are also commonly referred to as shrimp. This includes the brine shrimp, clam shrimp, fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp belonging to the brachiopods, the lophogastridan shrimp, opossum shrimp and skeleton shrimp belonging the Malacostraca; and seed shrimp which are ostracods. Many of these species look quite unlike like the commercial decapod shrimp that are eaten as seafood. For example, skeleton shrimp have short legs and a slender tail like a scorpion tail, fairy shrimp swim upside down with swimming appendages that look like leaves, and the tiny seed shrimp have bivalved carapaces which they can open or close. Krill resemble miniature shrimp, and are sometimes called "krill shrimp".
| Other species groups commonly known as shrimp | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Image | Group | Extant species | Description | |
| Branchiopoda | Branchiopoda comes from the Greek branchia meaning gills, and pous meaning feet. They have gills on their feet or mouthparts. | ||||
| brine shrimp | 8 | Brine shrimp belong to the genus Artemia. They live in inland saltwater lakes in unusually high salinities, which protects them from most predators. They produce eggs, called cysts, which can be stored in a dormant state for long periods and then hatched on demand. This has led to the extensive use of brine shrimp as fish feed in aquaculture. Brine shrimp are sold as novelty gifts under the marketing name Sea-Monkeys. | |||
| clam shrimp | 150 | Clam shrimp belong to the group Conchostraca. These freshwater shrimp have a hinged bivalved carapace which can open and close. | |||
| fairy shrimp | 300 | Fairy shrimp belong to the class Anostraca. These 1–10 cm long freshwater or brackish shrimp have no carapace. They swim upside down with their belly uppermost, with swimming appendages that look like leaves. Most fairy shrimp are herbivores, and eat only the algae in the plankton. Their eggs can survive drought and temperature extremes for years, reviving and hatching after the rain returns. | |||
| tadpole shrimp | 20 | Tadpole shrimp belong to the family Notostraca. Thsee living fossils have not much changed since the Triassic. They are drought-resistant and can be found preying on fairy shrimp and small fish at the bottom of shallow lakes and temporary pools. The longtail tadpole shrimp (pictured) has three eyes and up to 120 legs with gills on them. It lives for 20–90 days. Different populations can be bisexual, unisexual or hermaphroditic. | |||
| Malacostraca | Malacostraca comes from the Greek malakós meaning soft and óstrakon meaning shell. The name is misleading, since normally the shell is hard, and is soft only briefly after moulting. | ||||
| Lophogastrida | 56 | These marine pelagic shrimp make up the order Lophogastrida. They mostly inhabit relatively deep pelagic waters throughout the world. Like the related opossum shrimp, females lophogastrida carry a brood pouch. | |||
| mantis shrimp | 400 | Mantis shrimp, so called because they resemble a praying mantis, make up the order Stomatopoda. They grow up to 38 cm (15 in) long, and can be vividly coloured. Some have powerful spiked claws which they punch into their prey, stunning, spearing and dismembering them. They have been called "thumb splitters" because of the severe gashes they can inflict if handled carelessly. | |||
| opossum shrimp | 1,000 | Opossum shrimp belong to the order Mysida. They are called opossum shrimp because the females carry a brood pouch. Usually less than 3 cm long, they are not closely related to caridean or penaeid shrimp. They are widespread in marine waters, and are also found in some brackish and freshwater habitats in the Northern hemisphere. Marine mysids can form large swarms and are an important source of food for many fish. Some freshwater mysids are found in groundwater and anchialine caves. | |||
| skeleton shrimp | Skeleton shrimp, sometimes known as ghost shrimp, are amphipods. Their threadlike slender bodies allow them to virtually disappear among fine filaments in seaweed. Males are usually much larger than females. For a good account of a specific species, see Caprella mutica. | ||||
| Ostracoda | Ostracod comes from the Greek óstrakon meaning shell. In this case, the shells are in two parts, like those of bivalves or clams. | ||||
| seed shrimp | 13,000 | Seed shrimp make up the class Ostracoda. This is a class of numerous small crustacean species which look like seeds, typically about one millimetre (0.04 in) in size. Their carapace looks like a clam shell, with two parts held together by a hinge to allow the shell to open and close. Some marine seed shrimp drift as pelagic plankton, but most live on the sea floor and burrow in the upper sediment layer. There are also freshwater and terrestrial species. The class includes carnivores, herbivores, filter feeders and scavengers. | |||
Some mantis shrimp are a foot long, and have bulging eyes, a flattened tail and formidable claws equipped with clubs or sharp spikes, which it can use to knock out its opponents.
Skeleton shrimpRead more about this topic: Shrimp
Famous quotes containing the word shrimp:
“Big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp eggs.”
—Chinese proverb.