Banded Coral Shrimp
Stenopus hispidus
Rockpool Prawn
Palaemon elegans
About
The rockpool prawn is a small, tough shrimp found along the coasts of Europe. Its range runs from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It grows up to 6 cm and copes with many conditions, from salty lagoons to brackish river mouths.
Also known as: rockpool shrimp
- Length
- 6 cm
- Depth
- up to 30 m
Habitat
This prawn lives in shallow coastal water. It hides in rock pools covered in seaweed, in seagrass meadows, and on muddy or sandy flats near shore. It also turns up in brackish estuaries and very salty lagoons. It can be found down to about 30 m, but it is most common right at the shoreline, among algae and seagrass.
Did you know?
This shrimp has spread far beyond its native European coasts. It is now an invasive species in parts of the United States. In some of its home waters, it has also pushed out a related shrimp, Palaemon adspersus.
Log it in Into the Blue
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