Palaemonetes pugio

Palaemonetes pugio
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Infraorder: Caridea
Family: Palaemonidae
Genus: Palaemonetes
Species: P. pugio
Binomial name
Palaemonetes pugio
Holthuis, 1949

Palaemonetes pugio (daggerblade grass shrimp) is small, transparent shrimp with yellow coloring and brownish spots. It can be found throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Palaemonetes pugio has a smooth carapace and abdomen, as well as three pairs of legs. The second pair is the strongest, while the third pair lacks chelae (claws). It reaches a length of around 5 cm (2.0 in), and has a life span of around one year. Like most grass shrimp, it is a forager and feeds on a variety of items, including microalgae. They themselves are consumed by killifish and other small foraging fish.[1]

References

  1. Lipke B. Holthuis (1949). "Note on the species of Palaemonetes (Crustacea Decapoda) found in the United States of America" (PDF). Proceedings van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Akademie van Wetenschappen. 52: 87–95.

Further reading


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