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The grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, sometimes known as the 'popcorn shrimp', is a delicate, translucent crustacean that lives in the shallow areas of the Chesapeake Bay. The grass shrimp is the most common of the four species of the genus Palaemonetes to be found in the Bay.
Like all crustaceans, the grass shrimp belongs to the Arthropod family, and has five pairs of appendages on a segmented body: two antennae, a pair of jaws or mandibles, and two pairs of maxillae (mouthparts). This species has a serrated, well-developed 'horn' known as a rostrum which extends over its eyes; a spiny telson (the tail piece); and its first two pairs of walking legs have obvious claws. Adults grow to a maximum adult length of about 2 inches. These almost invisible creatures appear fragile, but they are excellent scavengers, helping to break down the detritus in the shallows, and they serve as predator and prey of other Bay species.
Although the grass shrimp can tolerate a wide range of salinity, P. pugio avoids the high-salinity waters near the mouth of the Bay. Grass shrimp usually spawn in summer, although in some ranges the season can extend from April to early autumn. Mating occurs within a few hours of molting. Males fertilize the eggs externally as they emerge from the female, and she carries them within a 'brood pouch' for about 12 to 60 days, following fertilization. The eggs are visible through the female's translucent shell. Occasionally the grass shrimp also carries a less welcome burden, Probopyrus pandalicola, a parasitic isopod that usually attaches externally, near the gill area. Larvae are released and undergo a series of developmental phases-10 zoeae and one postlarval. The duration of this period depends on water temperature and the presence of food. Larval grass shrimp consume zooplankton and algae; adult shrimp feed on algae, marine worms and other crustaceans. Their nutrient-rich pellets form an important element in estuarine ecosystems, and while they serve no commercial or recreational purpose, grass shrimp are an important source of food for other commercially valuable or forage species, including juvenile striped bass, white perch, red drum and spotted sea trout.
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