Palaemon paludosus, (Gibbes, 1850)
Palaemonetes paludosus, commonly known as ghost shrimp, glass shrimp, and eastern grass shrimp, is a species of freshwater shrimp from the southeastern United States. They can be considered a keystone species based on the services they provide to their habitat. They are also popular in the domestic aquarium business.
Palaemon paludosus is up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in) long and largely transparent. By manipulating the pigment granules in its body, it can produce effective camouflage against its background. It is very similar to P. kadiakensis, from which it can be distinguished by the arrangement of spines on the telson.
Palaemon paludosus is common in southern states east of the Appalachian Mountains. It is also found in Louisiana, where it may not be native, and there are scattered records from further west, in Texas and California. Their distribution is due to decreased susceptibility to predation because of complexity in higher habitats in Polygonum beds.
Palaemon paludosus are omnivores that mainly consume algae and aquatic insects along with various species of diatoms such as Fragilaria and Nivicula. They do most of their feeding at night as they are nocturnal.
Palaemon paludosus lives in fresh water or slightly brackish water, usually in lakes. It is nocturnal, remaining hidden among the vegetation by day, and emerging at night to feed on plankton. It is an important prey item for a number of birds and fishes, such as black bass, and may be considered a keystone species. They reproduce sexually and will die after the spawning season is complete. They are also used as host by a parasitic isopod, Probopyrus pandalicola, that makes the female shrimps sterile and affects the growth of the male's sex characteristics.
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