Common Ditch Shrimp

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean coasts. Inhabits estuaries, salt marshes, and shallow brackish ditches with dense vegetation.

Taxonomy: Member of the family Palaemonidae. Features a transparent glass-like body with a serrated rostrum and slender walking legs.

Social Behavior: Active and gregarious. Constantly swims and grazes on plants and substrate searching for detritus and organic particles.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The body is completely transparent and glassy, occasionally displaying faint dark or yellowish lines under strong lighting.

Tank Setup: Requires an aquarium of at least 30 liters with plenty of plants (e.g. hornwort or macroalgae) and rocks for shelter during molting.

Diet and Feeding: Omnivorous. Feeds on algae, decaying vegetation, frozen foods, and commercial fish flakes or sinking pellets.

Water Quality: Extremely euryhaline: tolerates fresh, brackish, and marine salinity. Prefers cool water temperatures between 10 and 25 °C.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Peaceful with small fish. Vulnerable to predation by larger carnivorous tankmates. Acts as an efficient scavenger.

Aquarium Breeding: Females carry eggs under their tail. Releases planktonic zoea larvae that require brackish water conditions to complete metamorphosis.

Risks and Diseases: Sensitive to rapid salinity shifts and toxic copper treatments. Ensure proper calcium levels are maintained for molting.