Snail eating ghost shrimp

sprucansailor · Post by **sprucansailor** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:40 pm

I read in another fourum (I think) that someone had a Ghost shrimp that chowed down on snails. It was a bigger Ghostie, I think they said 3 inches. Is this common behaviour? There are pictures to prove it!

If not, are there any shrimp that eat snails, but leave fish alone (mostly)?

Thanks

Branden

Shrimpmania · Post by **Shrimpmania** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:25 am

Don think so.. Shrimp mainly feed on algae

sprucansailor · Post by **sprucansailor** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:34 am

Its not a ghost shrimp after all. Someone else on that website has a better Idea (no where near positive) of waht it is. Is this picture enough for you guys to ID it?

http://aquamaniacs.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15463

I think that will work.

Branden

(They think it is in Genus Macrobrachium)

Bradimus · Post by **Bradimus** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:15 am

sprucansailor wrote: (They think it is in Genus Macrobrachium)

I would agree.

Post by **Mustafa** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:39 pm

That is not true. Palaemonid shrimp (Macrobrachium, Palaemonetes, Palaeomon etc.) don't eat mainly algae. They eat whatever they can find, including snails that cannot seal themselves in their shells.

Mustafa

Shrimpmania wrote:Don think so.. Shrimp mainly feed on algae

Post by **Mustafa** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:41 pm

And yes, it's a macrobrachium of some sort. If it's from Petco, it might actually be a juvenile Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Mustafa

sprucansailor · Post by **sprucansailor** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:17 pm

Still a Juvie at 3in? That must be a hige shrimp!

Branden

Veneer · Post by **Veneer** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:52 pm

sprucansailor wrote:Still a Juvie at 3in? That must be a [huge] shrimp!

Yes indeed:

See http://www.aqua-addiction.com/forums/in ... t&id=24468, http://southcenters.osu.edu/aqua/intro/sld013.htm, and http://www.msstate.edu/dept/crec/prawn.jpg for images.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is a predatory shrimp known to reach lengths in excess of two feet (including the clawed chelae-bearing limbs).