Bay Ghost Shrimp
Neotrypaea californiensis
Description 6
As a Thalassinidean, Neotrypaea has a broad, extended abdomen and well-developed tail fan (photo). As a member of family Callianassidae, its rostrum is a small tooth, not hairy;and its chelipeds are chelate and unequal in size. Neotrypaea californiensis has a bluntly rounded rostrum (photo) and a smooth carapace. The eyestalks are flattened and pointed, and the cornea of the eye is mid-dorsal on the flattened eyestalk (photo). The larger chela, when closed, has a gap between the propodus and dactyl (photo) and the carpus of the smaller chela is substantially wider than the merus (photo). Color translucent whitish, some internal colored organs visible (pink, orange, or yellow; the reproductive organs are coral-colored). Total length to 11.5 cm. Males are larger than females, and have a much larger claw. The body is only lightly calcified.
Physical description 7
Body coloration ranges between shades of orange, pink, and red. Some individuals may also exhibit a very pale coloration, almost white. The main body parts of Neotrypaea californiensis follow a generalized decapod body plan: two differently-shaped claws (with one major cheliped, often several times larger than the opposite claw); five pairs of legs, three paddle-shaped swimming legs (pleopods), a fan-like tail (uropod), telson, flattened eyestalks, and two pairs of antennae. The exoskeleton is fringed with numerous fine hairs.
Females bearing eggs carry them on their abdomen. The egg mass may vary in color between individuals, from light yellow to deep scarlet. The major cheliped is sexually dimorphic, being larger on males. The major cheliped can account for up to a quarter of a ghost shrimp's weight.
Average mass: 1-5 g.
Average length: 10-12 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes shaped differently
Ecosystem roles 8
The vigorous burrowing activities of ghost shrimp have such dramatic effects on their habitats of soft sediment that these animals are often considered ecosystem engineers. By aerating the surface sediment through burrowing, the ghost shrimp provide an environment attractive to other species including the blind goby, three species of pea crabs, two species of clams, a copepod, a shrimp, polynoid worms, and isopods, all of which live within the burrows.
Ecosystem Impact: creates habitat; soil aeration
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
- mudflat visor shrimp, Betaeus ensenadensis
- copepods, Hemicyclops thysanotus, Clausidium vancouverense
- isopods
- polynoid worms, Hesperonoe
- arrow goby, Clevelandia ios
- pea crab, Scleroplax granulata
- pea crabs, Pinnixa franciscana, P. schmitti
Food habits 9
Ghost shrimp ingest plankton and detritus deposits scraped from the sediments during burrowing. Plankton is also obtained as water and detrital materials pass over the body and are collected on the hairs of their second and third walking legs.
To find enough food, ghost shrimp tunnel almost constantly, reworking the sediment to a depth of as much as 76 cm.
Animal Foods: aquatic or marine worms; zooplankton
Plant Foods: phytoplankton
Other Foods: detritus
Foraging Behavior: filter-feeding
Primary Diet: planktivore ; detritivore
Habitat 10
Neotrypaea californiensis live as infauna in intertidal areas between the middle to low intertidal zones, on sandy beaches or tidal flats in estuaries. Ghost shrimp habitat is distinguished by numerous holes that are the entrances and exits of their burrows. Ghost shrimp are constantly excavating complex tunnels under the sand.
Although the majority of time is spent building tunnels, ghost shrimp do come to the surface at times, where predation can occur.
Range depth: 0.76 (low) m.
Habitat Regions: saltwater or marine
Aquatic Biomes: benthic ; coastal
Wetlands: marsh
Other Habitat Features: estuarine ; intertidal or littoral
Sources and Credits
- (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/2560244854
- (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/2560500392
- (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/4409859871
- (c) Scott Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5328850213_8920bc6296_b.jpg
- Brett Dumbauld, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neotrypaea_californiensis_burrow.jpg
- (c) Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/10455664
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18661424
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18661431
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18661429
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18661423
